Memories Should be Treasured
by magic-reeni
Summary: SEQUEL TO CHANGING MAKES A DIFFERENCE RELOADED Yugi goes to Yami's place after he's finished with school. What happens with he finds Keith is lusting after him?
1. Meeting the Family

There's the long awaited sequel to everybody that wanted it. Yeah me, it's finally out! Hope it didn't take too long for some of you. I'm always open to suggestions if you have them so email them or put them in a review for me!  
  
And I wanted to apologize for the way the chapter came out the first time. I don't know what was up with that but I fixed it so now you can read it. My computer must've gone whack on me or something.  
  
~~  
  
Yami opened the door to his home and led Yugi in before closing the door behind him. Both boys were eighteen, Yugi had just finished with school and was moving in with Yami, but he had yet to see where he was living because Yami hadn't let him under the pretense of surprise.  
  
"Okay, love. Open your eyes."  
  
Amethyst eyes slowly opened and displayed immediate surprise upon looking around the room he was currently in. "Yami.wow!" He exclaimed, smile glowing in the eyes of his koi, "I love it, Yami. It's beautiful!"  
  
"I'm glad that you like it so much, Yugi." Yami grinned as he wrapped his arm around his love's waist.  
  
"Is that my Yami?" A melodic voice called from the next room.  
  
"Yes, mother, Yugi's here too." Yami answered excitedly. He believed nothing could break the wonderful feeling that was swimming around inside of him because of Yugi's decision to stay with him.  
  
"Really?" came the thrilled reply. "Hold on, don't go anywhere! I can't wait to meet him at last!"  
  
But when Keith arrived in entrance hall of the large house, having emerged from some dark corridor and stood beside Yami's mother, holding his one- year-old sister in his arm, Yami's feeling of elation disappeared faster than the wrapping around presents at Christmas, and he growled low in his throat, loud enough for only Yugi to hear.  
  
Yugi didn't have the chance to look closely at his new family; instead he turned his head quickly to look at Yami.  
  
"It's him." Came the strained reply.  
  
Realizing whom "him" meant, Yugi turned to look at the man holding the baby girl in his arms and studied him carefully. Dislike washed through Yugi like water through muslin, all directed at the man standing before him, but when his eyes stopped at the small girl in his arms, they softened. 'She's adorable. I'm sure she'll look much like her mother,' Yugi thought, pleased with the knowledge. Suddenly though he realized he had no idea what her and Yami's mother looked like, so he turned his violet eyes towards the woman standing beside Keith and gasped lightly.  
  
Blonde hair flowed elegantly past the young-looking woman's waist and her emerald eyes sparkled with love and care, belying great wisdom. She looked perfectly contend and peaceful, her nearly wrinkle-face shone with enlightenment, and the unconscious ease with which she stood spoke of grace.  
  
"Yami," Yugi swallowed, suddenly self conscious in the face of this motherly goddess, "she's beautiful."  
  
"Why thank you, Yugi," The woman smiled sweetly then turned her gaze on her only son. "Aren't you going to introduce us?"  
  
Yami jumped and nodded, edging Yugi towards the couple. "Mother, this is Yugi. Obviously or else he wouldn't be here." He chuckled. "Yugi, this is my mother."  
  
Yugi nodded to the woman, not sure what else he should do. A light blush covered his face and his shyness overtook him as he leaned into Yami, desperately attempting to hide himself.  
  
"It's a pleasure to meet you at last, Yugi. Yami's told me so much about you. After he graduated, it seemed like everything past his lips was 'Yugi this' and 'Yugi that' or 'I can't wait to see Yugi.'"  
  
Yugi's blush darkened some but he nodded anyway to be polite. "It's a pleasure to meet you too, Mrs. Hitokage."  
  
"Oh please, Yugi, you're family here. You can just call me Mother, or Kiore, or something, but please, nothing formal like that. It makes me feel much too old."  
  
Yugi nodded.  
  
"Yami, what about you stepfather?"  
  
Distaste flitted across Yami's features before he nodded and gestured to Keith. "Yugi, this is Keith, my stepfather. The guy I told you about back at school last year."  
  
"It's nice to meet you as well." Yugi whispered, more afraid then shy now because he knew all too well about Keith.  
  
Yami then directed his crimson eyes towards his sister and allowed a small smile to show on his face. "And that precious little one in his arms is my little sister, Shiro."  
  
Yugi smiled. "She's cute." He whispered more to Yami than anybody else.  
  
The crimson-eyed teen stole a glance at Keith to see what he thought about Yugi and nearly attacked him at the blatant look in his eyes. Yami knew that look all too well, but with mother in the room and more importantly his little sister in his arms he forced himself to stay still. The look was pure, unmitigated lust, nothing more, nothing less. That lust filled leer that could mean only one thing: Keith had found another plaything. Unconsciously he held Yugi tighter to him and eyed Keith dangerously, daring him with his eyes to try something, even if his stepfather wasn't paying attention to anything but his precious lover.  
  
"Well, I'm going to start dinner before it gets too late." His mother interjected, shattering the unconscious tension, "Yami why don't you show Yugi to your guys' rooms." She then turned to Keith. "Darling, would you care to help?"  
  
Finally, Keith's greedy blue eyes tore from Yugi's milky skin to Kiore's emerald eyes. "I'd love to. I'm sure little Shiro would like to help as well." He walked past the three and into what Yugi could only assume to be the kitchen, tickling his daughter who was shrieking in delight.  
  
Kiore looked back to her son and his little lover. "I'm glad you decided to stay with us Yugi, I hope you like it here; and I'm very sorry to hear what happened to your grandfather."  
  
Yugi merely nodded, not meeting her eyes. The memory of his grandfather was still fresh and painful - hearing this beautiful woman bring it up was both sad and embarrassing.  
  
Kiore leaned over and pressed a loving kissing on her son's cheek and, completely surprising Yugi, kissed his cheek too. "There's no reason to be shy here, Yugi. We're all family and wouldn't hurt you."  
  
Yami wanted to snort in disbelief as his eyes glanced at the kitchen door that Keith and his sister had disappeared behind. After his mother had left the room Yami wanted to get as far from Keith as possible. He started tugging on Yugi's arm and led, nearly dragged, him to the stairs.  
  
Yugi quickly came out of his shy mode once he was alone with Yami and smiled happily. "Your mother's really nice, Yami. I like her."  
  
Yami nodded to indicate that he was listening, but didn't say anything in response, too absorbed in his own thoughts. 'If Keith dares lay a hand on Yugi like he's done to me I swear I'll kill him myself. I won't ever let him hurt Yugi like he did me. I'll be the only one to touch Yugi like that unless Yugi says otherwise."  
  
Yami calmed down once he reached his bedroom door, that is to say he stopped gritting his teeth and huffing like a rhinoceros. The older boy held Yugi back so that he couldn't look into his bedroom and peeked inside, looking around for anything that might make his little lover feel uneasy. Sighing in relief as he saw none, he opened the door wider and ushered Yugi inside.  
  
"Wow, Yami! This room is so much bigger than mine ever was! It's even bigger than the game shop itself!"  
  
"I guess, but I don't like to spend much time in here alone. for obvious reasons, you see. Hopefully, your being in here with me will ward him off for a bit."  
  
Yugi pouted a playfully at Yami and fake tears shone in his eyes, "Aw, Yami, I feel so used."  
  
Yami laughed and pushed Yugi back on the bed. "No, love, I would never place the burden of protecting me from that bastard on your adorable shoulders. The weight of it would break your back in seconds, and then where would I be?" Yami half joked, half serious.  
  
Yugi nodded, acknowledging the concerned tone in yami's voice, then glanced around the room with a comical mixture of mistrust, confusion, and deep thought.  
  
Yami placed a small kiss on Yugi's lips before pulling away. "What's wrong, love? You look like you have something on your mind."  
  
"This isn't going to be what we do until we find somewhere else to go, is it?"  
  
"What do you mean, love?"  
  
"You and me, staying locked in your room or always together? As much as I truly love you Yami, people do need to have alone time once in a while." He looked away from Yami sheepishly and added, "You're not mad, are you, Yami?"  
  
The last question took Yami by surprise. "Of course not Yugi. I completely understand." Yugi looked back up at him. "It's just, I'm afraid."  
  
"Afraid of what, Yami?"  
  
"Of Keith. I'm just relieved you didn't see that look he was giving you, Yugi. I was afraid that he was going to force himself on you right there with everybody watching. I don't ever want him to hurt you like that."  
  
"Don't worry, Yami. Soon we'll have our own place where we never have to lay eyes on him again if we don't want to." Yugi assured him lovingly, gently kissing the tip of his nose.  
  
"That's true.but there's also Shiro. What happens when she grows up? I can already tell she's going to be just as beautiful as my mother, and with looks like those I'm afraid he's going to want her too."  
  
"Let's not worry about that until we get there, Yami. I barely know Keith and I already know he won't do anything to a little girl. When she reaches her teens perhaps, then we'll worry about it." Yugi calmly responded, knowing full well that Yami was going to be protective of his half-sister even if somebody he hated helped to create her.  
  
"You're right, Yugi. You're always right about these things." Yugi smiled and leaned up for a kiss just as Yami was leaning down.  
  
A knock resonated throughout the room just as their lips met. Yami growled lightly at being disturbed and pulled away. "Who is it?"  
  
The door opened and Yami glowered at the man standing in the threshold before him, pulling away from Yugi and pushing the younger man behind him protectively.  
  
A smirk appeared on Keith's bristled face as he eyed Yugi, who was watching him like a hunted rabbit might watch a fox from behind Yami. Another snarl from Yami made Keith tear his eyes away and he was met with the same dark glare he was given in the entrance hall. The boy's angry eyes nearly dared him to try touching Yugi, Keith sighed inwardly. 'I'm going to have to get the smart ass out of the house if I ever want to have the pretty boy look-a- like behind him for myself,' He decided.  
  
"Did you need something?" Yami ground out angrily, pushing against Yugi to keep him back, which Yugi didn't object to, as the piercing blue eyes bore straight into him again.  
  
"Your mother wanted me to inform you that dinner is going to be ready in a few minutes, and wanted you two to get cleaned up."  
  
"Fine. We'll be there in a minute," Yami gritted out. Keith simply nodded and closed the door behind him.  
  
Only when the footsteps died away in Yami's ears did he relax and let Yugi away from the wall he was pushing against.  
  
"He seems nice enough." Yugi thought aloud.  
  
Yami tensed again and turned on Yugi angrily, grabbing his shoulders. "Never trust him, Yugi!" Yami ordered, shaking him. "Never! No matter how nice he may seem, he isn't! Never forget that! You've seen what he's done! The pain he's caused the actions that I've resorted to because of him!"  
  
Yugi was shaking underneath his grip. Never had he been yelled at by Yami and never touched like this. Out of fear though, he nodded to show he was listening.  
  
"My mother says I'm strong, Yugi." Yami strained out. "That's why I never said anything to her and kept it to myself. When I started sleeping around with anybody who wanted it in my sophomore year, I knew that I wasn't as strong as my mother believed I was. I let myself be controlled by Keith, by a few cruel words he said. I even went back to him for more. I'm not that sensitive, Yugi and those words got to me. Think of how they would be feel being turned onto somebody like you. Those words would shatter your soul."  
  
Yugi swallowed and he nodded shakily.  
  
Crimson eyes softened as he let go of Yugi and wrapped his arms around him, holding him as though he were afraid that the Yugi he loved would simply disappear because of Keith's presence. "I'm so sorry, Yugi. I hate to scare you like that. but you have to know it."  
  
The younger boy breathed in Yami's spicy scent and relaxed, wrapping his own arms around his lover. "I understand, Yami. I know you worry about me and I promise you that I'll be careful when you aren't around."  
  
Yami nodded and pulled away. "We should wash up." He stated practically before standing and pulling his koibito to his feet. "I'll show you where the bathroom is."  
  
He opened the door and walked down the hall, pausing before the second door on his left. Opening it, the boys entered the bathroom, washed and dried their hands, and moved on to dinner. Before heading to the stairs Yami pointed to a closed door at the end of the hall, "That's my mother and Keith's room. Shiro's also staying in there, but when she gets old enough for her own room, then I'll most likely be moved into the attic and she'll go into mine. Don't ever go in there, Yugi, not unless I'm with you. My mother wouldn't mind very much but if Keith caught you alone he knows you wouldn't give much of a fight because of how shy you were acted in the entrance hall."  
  
Yugi swallowed around the lump that was growing in his throat. 'Yami really is scared about this. I had no idea it was this bad.' "I'm sorry, Yami. If I hadn't."  
  
"No Yugi, don't apologize for you're personality. I love it. Besides, you couldn't help it. You didn't know them, and aren't comfortable around them yet, so I would act that way too if I were as shy as you."  
  
Yugi nodded and held Yami's arm tightly as they walked down the stairs. At the bottom Yami stopped and pointed to a wooden door to his right with oak leaf designs engraved into it. "That's the study. If you need paper or something like that then that would be the best place to look first."  
  
Yugi nodded and looked to where Yami was now pointing to a door that was directly across the room from the study; this door was the same as the study's door and, the rest of the doors in the house, save Yami's, which had a dragon design embossed in it, "That's the library. One glance inside and you'll think we own every book under the sun, but we don't." Yugi smiled and nodded. "My mother loves to read so if she's in the house, you'll find her in there."  
  
Yami turned around, facing the staircase, and pointed to a pair of double glass doors with the same oak leaf design in them. "Those doors lead outside to the garden. If my mother's not in the library then the chances are she'll be out there. I swear we have any kind of flower ever created and more out there; it's a beautiful sight though."  
  
He walked on and Yugi followed. Yami stopped between two doors, gesturing to the door on the left he said, "That's to the kitchen. If you're ever hungry for a snack or something then you can always go in there." Then entering the door on the right, he added, "and this is this dining room. We eat all our meals in here."  
  
He pushed the swinging door open and led Yugi inside. The varied smells of many different kinds of delicious foods assaulted Yugi's nose and he tried his best not to drool at the sight of it, though it was an extremely difficult task.  
  
"Oh good, you're here. I was starting to think I would have to send Keith back up for you." Kiore's eyes laughed as she teased her son.  
  
"Sorry mother. We went straight up to our room to get settled in and I didn't get the chance to show him around before Keith came in to get us, so I gave him a small tour on the way down. I'll give him a better one later, of course."  
  
His mother smiled at him and Yugi, her emerald eyes glanced at the door before turning a pointed look on her son. "Yami, why can't you call Keith your father, stepfather even?"  
  
Yugi felt Yami tense and took a step back. "He'll never be my father." Yami muttered coldly.  
  
Kiore sighed sadly. "Yami, dearest. please?" It was an ongoing war that neither party won, but both were tired of.  
  
"Mother, can we not talk about this with Yugi here?" He ground out.  
  
His mother didn't have a chance to respond as Keith came in carrying Shiro with him and placing her in her highchair, the small girl squealed in delight, bringing much needed smiles to everyone.  
  
Yami had never been more grateful for Keith to enter the room. He hated arguing with his mother, but he couldn't tell her why he refused to call him even stepfather. The truth being, he had no respect for him from the beginning and grew more hateful towards him as they days passed by. How could one ever have respect enough for a person that sodomized children, and then went after their boyfriends?  
  
They ate dinner in silence. Kiore sending her son sad glances and Yugi sending his koi concerned ones.  
  
Yugi felt like he had an even bigger responsibility on his shoulders now, if Yami's mother truly had no clue what was going on behind her back between her husband and son, and possibly what could happen to her daughter, then Yami had never told anybody but himself. Yugi didn't know if it was his place to tell, but he didn't know if he could keep the secret.  
  
After dinner, Yugi helped Yami clear the table before going back up to the room they shared. Yugi was slightly unnerved since Yami wasn't usually this quiet when they were alone, and was scared that he was angry with him.  
  
"Koi, are you going to be okay?" Yugi asked him as he sat on their bed.  
  
"Yeah." Came the short answer. They stayed in silence for a few minutes longer before Yami headed for his door, "I need to go take a shower, maybe that'll help. Just stay in here."  
  
Yugi nodded, his insides fluttering at the thought that even though Yami was upset, he still watched out for him. The troubled, once neglected, violet-eyed boy felt truly loved.  
  
The amethyst-eyed boy laid down on his lover's and his bed and closed his eyes, relaxing into the comfortable sheets. His mind wandered to the library that he had yet to see the inside of. If it was true what Yami said about how many books they had, and what reason did he have to lie, then he was sure that the library was where he was going to want to spend most of his time when Yami wasn't around.  
  
He was so caught up in his thoughts that he was startled when the door opened minutes later. "That was fast, Yami. Feeling better?" He looked up when nobody answered him and gasped. "K-Keith? Sor-sorry, I thought you were Yami. He's in the sho-shower right now."  
  
"So I've heard." Keith stepped into the room, leaving the door open. He planned on making this quick so that Yami wouldn't know what hit him when he found Yugi.  
  
"I-I could tell him y-you were lo-looking for him.if you w-want?" Yugi stuttered out, moving backwards on the bed until he reached the edge.  
  
"Oh no, little Yugi, it's you I'm looking for." He smirked.  
  
"M-me? What wo-would you want with me?" Yugi stuttered, feigning innocence, though he knew damned well what Keith wanted.  
  
"Is there something I can help you with, Keith?" Yami growled from the entrance of his door, a towel wrapped around his slim waist.  
  
Keith snarled under his breath, but turned around and put a fake smile on his face. "No, I was just talking to Yugi here, getting to know him, you know? After all, he is family here, but I'd better be going." Keith turned to look at Yugi still shivering on the bed. "Nice talking to you, Yugi. We should do it more often."  
  
Yugi nodded to be polite while fighting the urge to whimper in terror. "Sure, why n-not?"  
  
Noting how frightened Yugi was acting, Yami turned back to Keith. "Well, it's getting late. We were going to go to bed soon. If you wouldn't mind, Keith.?"  
  
Keith nodded and walked out; Yami closed and locked the door behind his stepfather before hurrying over to Yugi and taking him in his arms. "You're going to be alright, Yugi. Shh, I won't let him hurt you." Yami cooed, rocking him back and forth.  
  
"I saw it, Yami. How he was looking at me.it was just like you said how he looked downstairs when he first saw me. I don't like it Yami! I don't want to be looked at like that!" The younger boy cried into his lover's chest as he held Yami tighter.  
  
"Oh, Yugi," he sighed, "don't worry, love. I won't let him touch you. I promise." Yugi nodded against him. "I'm going to get dressed and then we'll go to bed, okay?" He suggested.  
  
"Okay."  
  
Yami let go of Yugi and walked over to his closet. He removed the towel and pulled on black boxers with red flames and then walked back over to Yugi.  
  
The younger man got off the bed as Yami pulled the covers back. He crawled back in and snuggled up to Yami once he climbed in as well. Yami wrapped his arms around his little koibito and closed his eyes, nuzzling into him.  
  
"Yami?" Yugi mumbled in a tired voice as he rested his head on Yami's toned chest, immensely comfortable in the arms of his love.  
  
"Hmm?"  
  
"Can I go look in the library tomorrow?" He asked innocently.  
  
Yami felt like laughing. 'That's the Yugi I learned to love: always reading.' He thought, happy that Yugi wasn't going to be too scared because of Keith. "Of course you can, love. As long as you like."  
  
"Thanks." Yugi yawned and fell asleep.  
  
"Goodnight, love."  
  
~~ Grr! Evil Keith, I hate him and he's soooo evil! Hehe, but that's my fault, isn't it? Oh well, had to have a bad guy somewhere so might as well make it somebody I don't like.  
  
Once more, I'm always open for suggestions so feel free to send them along if you wanted to tell me or just ask me something about the fic. 


	2. The Day Together

Clunk.  
  
Yami rolled over and hid his face in Yugi's back, ready to go back to sleep.  
  
Clunk.  
  
Ruby eyes clenched as the sound echoed in his mind. Grumbling, he tried to block out the sound as another clunk sounded on his door.  
  
"Yami, you awake?" A sweet voice called out to him.  
  
Realizing he wasn't going to get any more sleep that morning Yami opened his eyes and sat up, careful to keep the sheets on Yugi so he wouldn't get cold. He opened the door and smiled at his mother and little sister.  
  
"Yeah, mother. I'm awake." He yawned and glanced back at his sleeping koi before turning his gaze back to his mother.  
  
"Good, I need you to make breakfast this morning. Could you do that for me?" She smiled apologetically at him.  
  
"Sure, but why do you need me to do it?" He rubbed the sleep out of his eyes.  
  
The little one-year-old giggled at her older brother and reached out for him, whining because she couldn't reach him.  
  
Yami smiled at her and took her from her mother. "Hey, Shiro. Are you causing problems again?" He joked and tickled her little tummy. She squealed with delight and half-heartedly tried to get away.  
  
"Well, your step-father."  
  
"Keith." Yami interrupted sternly.  
  
Kiore sighed and continued, ".step-father," Yami growled and looked away from her, "is still asleep and you're usually up at this time. I have to run to the post office really fast before they mail out the bills from yesterday. For some reason one of the bills didn't make it with the others yesterday. The mailman just left it in the box."  
  
Yami held back a snort of disbelief. 'Yeah, Keith, now we're tampering with the mail. That's real smart of you.'  
  
Something wet dripped onto his neck and he looked down. "Ah! Shiro, no, don't do that!" Yami pulled her away from his locket that Yugi had given him two Christmas' ago, he had yet to remove for the first time.  
  
The silver locket was removed from her mouth and moved out of her short reach. Realizing that it was taken away after a second she began to cry for it, waving her hands around.  
  
Kiore took the baby from her son's arms and held her close, rocking her back and forth to quiet her down. After giving a pacifier to her that she produced from her pocket she frowned at Yami. "Honey, you can't yell at her like that; she doesn't know any better, she's only one year old. You don't mind if she touches anything else."  
  
"One or not, she's not going to be touching my locket, especially if she's just going to drool all over it." Yami held back from yelling out as he picked up the towel he had used the night before off the ground and dried it and his neck off.  
  
"It's just a locket. It won't break if she's just playing with it." His mother tried to reason.  
  
Yami could feel his temper rising but he did the best he could to hold it back. "It's not 'just a locket', mother. It's very special to me. And what happens when she starts teething and she gets in the habit of putting it in her mouth? She'll put teeth marks all over it and it'll be ruined."  
  
"We could just get you a different one. You never take that one off to look at it so I'm sure you won't realize the difference."  
  
Yami was about to scream at his mother's stupidity, the woman had no grasp of sentimental value! His teeth were just beginning to grind together when he froze at the sleep-filled voice that called out to him. He turned around and his anger melted away at the disheveled look Yugi wore in the morning. "Morning, love. Did you sleep well?"  
  
Yugi smiled at him and nodded before violet-eyes turned to the blonde women standing at the door. It took a minute to figure out who the unfamiliar lady was before he blushed and tried to hide himself in the covers.  
  
Crimson eyes rolled at his lover's antics and turned back to his mother. "I'll make breakfast and have it ready by the time you get back." He told her in an icy tone that said he wasn't going to talk about the locket again.  
  
She sighed and nodded, closing her emerald eyes to hide her disappointment. Smiling at Yugi she nodded a goodbye to the couple and left.  
  
"Get dressed, Yugi. We're going to go downstairs and make breakfast." He said in a stern voice that booked no argument.  
  
Yugi nodded and got up, pulling on some jeans and a pullover black shirt. Yami looked him over quickly and nodded, leading the way downstairs after pulling on some clothes as well.  
  
~~  
  
Yami pulled out a few things he would need and looked around before sighing. Looking to Shiro and realizing he couldn't leave her here without somebody to watch her, he glanced back to Yugi and strained his ears for any noises upstairs. Not hearing anything he glimpsed back at his koi sitting on one of the stools beside his little sister. "Yugi, could you go upstairs and get something for me? I need to watch Shiro and I don't want you to have to watch her and not really know what to do."  
  
Violet eyes sparkled as a smile lit up on his face. "Sure Yami, What do you need me to get?"  
  
"There's a book on my desk with 'sketch' written on it with black ink. Inside is a loose piece of paper with instructions on it. It's something I've been meaning to do and since I kinda lost my temper on my mother this morning I'd like to do it as a way of saying sorry." He explained, staring at his feet, he really did feel bad about the conflict with his mother.  
  
"Okay, Yami." He walked over to the door and looked back curiously. "How'd you lose your temper?"  
  
"She just said something about the locket you gave me and it ticked me, that's all."  
  
Yugi nodded and rushed out the door.  
  
'Keith, you better keep your fat ass in bed until Yugi's down here where I can protect him again. As long as my mother isn't here you wouldn't care if anybody else saw.'  
  
~~  
  
Yugi opened the door to his and Yami's room and closed it quietly so the noise wouldn't wake Keith. He went over to his koi's desk and shifted through the papers for the notebook he was looking for. It wasn't where Yami said it would be, so he looked around on the floor it case it fell off and Yami noticed.  
  
Crawling around on the floor he checked under the bed and found a blue notebook hiding halfway underneath it. Pulling it out from under a pile of junk, he found the word 'sketch' across it diagonally and smiled. He was about to stand up when he caught a glimpse of loose paper and a notebook cover peeking out from under the mattress of the bed.  
  
Hearing one of the doors open from across the hall, Yugi jumped off the floor. Feeling insecure and overly paranoid at the moment, he opened the door and glimpsed out and saw the bathroom door close. Tensing he quietly walked out of the bedroom after taking the paper out of the notebook, closed the door, and tried to get to the stairs before Keith came out.  
  
"Good morning, Yugi." A rough voice called behind him.  
  
Yugi cringed and his violet eyes closed in defeat before he turned around with a fake smile on his face. "Good morning, Keith. Did you sleep well?" He asked cheerfully.  
  
"Very well, thank you, and you?" Keith asked with a smirk seeing that Yami was nowhere in the vicinity.  
  
"I slept just fine too. I should go though, Yami's waiting for me in the kitchen." Yugi made to leave but a calloused hand on his shoulder stopped him.  
  
"You shouldn't have to be with Yami the whole time you're here. I would personally get very sick of him even if he is my stepson. Why don't we sit down somewhere and get to know each other a little better. You wouldn't want to be here the whole time and be complete strangers, would you?"  
  
Yugi relaxed some and shook his head, Keith's logic striking a truer note than Yami's warnings had. 'It does make sense and he is very nice right now. Maybe what I saw last night was just nerves or something. Maybe he doesn't want me like Yami thinks he does.' A real smile replaced the fake one and nodded. "No, I don't suppose I do. I would feel just awful about that. But I do have to give this," he held up the paper in his hand, "to Yami. I'll just give it to him and then we could talk. How about in the library? I've always been more comfortable with books anyway."  
  
Keith nodded and removed his hand with a smirk. "Okay. I'll just meet you in there then."  
  
Yugi nodded and rushed down the stairs for the kitchen door. "I won't be long," he called over his shoulder.  
  
Yami looked at Yugi curiously as he burst through the door with a bright smile. "What's up with you? It certainly can't be very exciting and fun just retrieving something for me, can it?"  
  
"I'm going to talk to Keith." Yugi smiled, not thinking in the slightest about what he said. "I would feel really bad if I was here the whole time and stayed complete strangers with somebody who's practically family."  
  
Yami's eyes widened at what he was hearing and before he could stop himself he lost his temper. He grabbed Yugi's arm harsher than he would've liked and forced Yugi to stay where he was. "What do you mean 'talk to Keith'?" He all but screamed.  
  
Yugi flinched as the pain from Yami's grip spread in his arm and looked up with fear evident in his eyes. "Yami, you're holding too tight." He whimpered.  
  
"Tell me what you mean!" Yami shouted as he pulled Yugi closer.  
  
"I said I was going to talk to Keith. He told me that I would get sick of just hanging around you the whole time we stayed here and it wouldn't make sense if I stayed here while it felt like strangers surrounding me. Can you let go now, Yami? You're hurting me."  
  
Instead of letting go, Yami pulled Yugi over to the stool he was sitting in before he left to get Yami's notebook and forced him down on it. "What did I tell you last night, Yugi? Tell me what I said to you after you told me you thought he seemed nice and not bad at all!"  
  
"You said not to trust him." Yugi whispered, trying to pull his arm free from Yami's death grip, he could feel the skin bruising as capillaries burst below Yami's fingertips. "That it was just an act and I'd only get hurt once he got me alone."  
  
"So why are you going to go talk to him alone?"  
  
"It just seemed logical, Yami." His eyes turned to the floor in shame that he had allowed himself to get tricked, even when he was trying to be careful around Keith just like Yami had told him to. He felt Yami let go of his arm at last and he buried his face in Yami's shirt as he shook out of fear of what he almost got himself into, cursing his own gullibility. "I'm sorry, Yami. I tried to be careful but he tricked me."  
  
"Don't worry, Yugi. I'm sorry I was so rough with you. I just don't want you to get treated like he treats me. I know this is hard for you since you can't seem to find it in your big heart to hate anybody no matter what they do but you do need to understand that you can't trust him like you would with other people who're nice to you."  
  
Yugi winced at the condescending tone, but nodded complacently. "I do understand, Yami, it's so hard to be careful of somebody who acts really nice. I'll try to be careful for you, Yami. I just lost common sense about what you said when he smiled and started saying the things he did."  
  
'Oh you're good, Keith, but not good enough. I'll keep Yugi from you even if I have to give myself up for him. You won't lay a finger on him like you did me as long as I live.' Yami vowed angrily as he held Yugi close to him.  
  
~~  
  
'Damn!' Keith felt like killing someone, preferably Yami. 'Just keep interfering, you whore, and I'll decide to take him in front of you. I'll make you watch if I have to but I *will* get him alone.' With that Keith walked away from the kitchen door from where he heard everything. His twisted mind was already planning new things that would get Yugi to come to him willingly.  
  
~~  
  
Yami and Yugi cleaned the table after breakfast in total silence. Neither was really sure what to say to each other to make the other feel better about what had, or almost had, happened that morning.  
  
Yugi thought it would be better if he could let his koi have a chance to calm down on his own, knowing very well that his temper wasn't one to take with lightly. "Yami, can I go to our room for a while? I just need to be alone for a while." He looked back at Yami to gage his expression and by the looks of it a full out 'no, no questions asked' was about to be screamed at him. As an after thought that might make his lover feel more secure, he added, "I'll keep the door locked, I promise I will. I just want to go lie down on my own for a little while. I won't let anybody in either. I'll just act like I'm asleep if Keith or your mother wants in."  
  
Sighing, Yami decided it was better if Yugi did have alone time so he wouldn't feel like they were handcuffed permanently to each other. "Only if you keep it locked, no matter what. I'll be up in two hours to see how you're doing."  
  
Yugi offered a smile. "Thanks, Yami. I promise I'll keep it locked and I'll set the alarm so I know when to expect you." With that Yugi turned and headed up the stairs.  
  
~~  
  
Violet eyes blinked tiredly as Yugi thought about what he was going to do. 'Grandpa always told me that if I was ever going to settle down I might as well make it worth my while. If I go through with this, then maybe Yami will settle down a bit. It's definitely going to be special though. Yeah, I'm going to do it! First, I'll need a.'  
  
Yugi was brought out of his thoughts by an insistent buzzing noise off to his side. Reaching over he pushed the 'set' button on the alarm and waited for a knock on the door.  
  
Knock knock.  
  
Yugi smirked at Yami's timeliness before he opened the door with a smile. "Hey, Yami."  
  
"Hey, how do you feel now? Better?"  
  
"Yeah. How about you though? You were pretty upset this morning and I'm sure that didn't help your mood from when you fought with your mother either."  
  
"No, it didn't really, but I guess I do feel a bit more at ease now."  
  
'I might not get another opportunity to be alone. If only I had an hour or so to get a couple things.' Thinking quickly he blurted out, "Yami, do you think I could be alone for just another hour? I was thinking about a few things and it would be nice to get them off my mind now."  
  
A hurt look came over Yami's face before he quickly hid it. "Sure, Yugi. I'll be up in another hour to see how you feel then. Maybe we could go out for a movie later tonight if you want. I wouldn't really call last night and making breakfast earlier really spending time with each other so it would be nice to get out and do something with you."  
  
"Sure, I'd like that, Yami. I'll think about that when I'm done and I'll tell you when you come back up." Yugi closed the door behind him, not seeing the hurt look settle itself on Yami's face again.  
  
Yugi set the clock for another hour and rushed over to his duffel bag sitting on the floor. He grabbed his wallet and went to the window.  
  
'Thank Kami for the close tree branches.' Yugi prayed silently before opening the window and climbing out. He clambered down the tree, started running down the driveway, and off the property down the street.  
  
~~  
  
Yami sighed as he sat in the library reading one of the books he'd seen Yugi reading once at school. He found it interesting since it seemed completely un-Yugi like to read something about action/adventure. He especially liked it whenever a dragon showed up in the book, which was pretty often. Closing the book after having finished one of the chapters, Yami turned it over so it showed the back and the summary of the tale.  
  
"Orphaned after her parents' death during the war, Kokoro is raised by a pack of dragons that found her on their 'door step,'" He read. "Kokoro's free nature forces her to expand her boundaries out into the wide world and see what she can make of herself. During her journey, she meets up with the facetious Jakuto and joins him in his travels.  
  
"In a world of dragons, demons, humans, and other spectacular flights of fancy, who knows what fate may await the dragon-raised orphan? Will she choose to stay with Jakuto, or will she travel back to the dragon pack where she had been raised and be free of social constraint as she had always been before?"  
  
He looked up in annoyance when loud footsteps stopped in front of him. "What do you want, Keith? I'm busy."  
  
"And I'm in a bad mood. You know what I want Yami and don't try to deny that you want it just as badly." He ground out in a husky voice.  
  
'Either he's wanted this for a few hours, or he's been burning his throat out with alcohol again.' He took a small sniff and inwardly blanched at the smell coming off of Keith. 'Yep, he's definitely been at the alcohol. I'm just glad he didn't get to Yugi.' He sighed in relief.  
  
"Forget it, Keith. My mother's home and I don't fancy her walking into any room or out to the garden to see her son getting raped by the person she married."  
  
"It's only rape if the person doesn't want it."  
  
"I never wanted it, you bastard!"  
  
"Do you want your mother to walk in on this? I suggest you keep your voice down. Otherwise I'll find somebody else to go after." His blue turned upward to look at the ceiling, but Yami would have known whom he meant regardless of actions.  
  
Yami snarled, "Keep him out of this, you sick twisted son of a bi."  
  
"Ah ah ah, mouth, Yami, watch your mouth. Your mother disapproves of it so." He flicked his finger at him in a disappointing action.  
  
"Kami, ass hole, I don't care what you think. The only reason I haven't thrown you to the cops is because I really don't want to talk about this. Now fuck off!" He growled dangerously, setting his book aside.  
  
"There's an idea." Keith chuckled before forcing his chapped lips on to Yami's. He pinned him down with his over-muscled arms and forced his tongue past stubborn lips to explore freely, playing with the young man's tongue.  
  
Yami bit down on Keith's tongue, hard.  
  
Blue eyes hardened and Keith pulled back harshly, he gripped harder on Yami's arms and enjoyed the flinch it caused in the process. He took both of the young man's wrists into one hand and used his free one to slapped Yami across the face, leaving a red handprint in its wake.  
  
"Try something like that again and you'll regret dearly, Yami."  
  
"Leave me alone, you rapist." Yami spat in Keith's face and looked away.  
  
Keith was about to hurt Yami like he never had before when a quiet voice reached his ears.  
  
"Keith, where are you?"  
  
He let go of Yami and walked out of the library as he straightened his clothes out, fatherly countenance firmly in place. "Coming, darling dearest."  
  
"Oh, there you are, honey. I was wondering if you would mind coming with me to the outlet malls and help watch Shiro for me. I need to pick her up some new clothes and, well, you know how she can be sometimes when she doesn't want to cooperate."  
  
"Yes, completely. I'll go with you, of course. I'll just get my jacket and meet you in the car."  
  
The voices died down and Yami sighed in relief. "That was close. How can mother stand him?" He looked at his watch and stood to go see if Yugi was done thinking yet. He'd been a little hurt when Yugi asked to be alone longer. It made him feel like he was being kept in the dark about something and he didn't like that because it made him worry about his koi. He'd been even more hurt when Yugi had just closed the door without saying anything else. He wanted to know what was going on in Yugi's mind, what made him want to be alone so much for so long? Had it been what he'd done in the kitchen? He'd done it the night before, after Keith had left when he told him they were going to bed. He'd yelled at Yugi and hurt him by how hard he gripped. He would definitely make it up to his lover for hurting him and frightening him by yelling but his little one needed to know how important it was to not trust Keith no matter what.  
  
Yami knocked on the door and could've sworn he heard Yugi swear before shuffling and stumbling around was heard just before the door was opened.  
  
~~  
  
Yugi stepped in through the window and praised the gods once again for having come back on time. The clock was just going off and he pressed 'set' again. A knock was heard at the door just as he pressed it.  
  
"Kuso." He cursed. He stumbled over to his bag and put his empty wallet inside one of the side pockets and then pulled out his small package that had just used up all of his cash. He kissed it lightly, proud of himself for following his heart like his grandfather always told him to do, then hid it under his clothes and zipped his bag back.  
  
On standing up though, he tripped over the shoulder strap of his bag and fell on the floor. Untangling himself he stood and rushed to the door, opening it as he caught his breath.  
  
"Hey, Yami. I. saw the car drive out. Where're your mom and Keith going?" He asked curiously.  
  
"To the store. Are you okay?"  
  
"Sure, Yami. Why wouldn't I be okay? I'm here with you and that's all I could ever want." He rushed, hoping that he wasn't flushed or sweaty.  
  
Yami smiled at the answer and shook his head. "Nice answer, but not what I meant." He lifted his hand and pulled down a leaf. "I meant this. Why is there a leaf in your hair?"  
  
"I'm.turning over a new leaf." He answered lamely. At Yami's raised eyebrow he sighed and looked around the room. Seeing the open window he came up with a better answer. "It was getting stuffy in here so I opened the window. I looked out of it when I heard the car go by and it must've fallen in my hair without my noticing."  
  
"Aw, so what was with the crummy joke?"  
  
"Just trying to lighten the mood a bit. You're so tense, Yami, and I was just trying to make you feel better."  
  
Yami's smile widened. "Thanks, Yugi, but just being around you makes me feel better all the time. I don't know how I lived without you before, but I know I'll die if something happens to you, or rather. if it's something bad that happens."  
  
"You're so sweet." He walked past Yami and to the stairs. "Come on, I'm getting a little hungry from thinking so hard. Let's make a couple sandwiches and we can snuggle together."  
  
"Of course, love. And where would you like to snuggle." Yami joked.  
  
"In the library, duh. I have yet to see it." He answered excitedly.  
  
"The library: why didn't I think of that sooner?" He rolled his crimson eyes and followed Yugi down the stairs. "You don't have to go in there with somebody, you know that right? It's okay to go in alone."  
  
"I know, but it would only make sense to know that I've already seen one of my favorite rooms with my favorite person so why not see the other room I know I'll love the second I see it with the person I love with my whole being."  
  
"You and your sweet moments," Yami chuckled, warmed to the soul.  
  
"That's why you love me, me and my 'sweet moments'" 


	3. Too Close for Comfort

To whoever asked if this Keith was 'Bandit Keith' from the series (sorry I forgot who asked) yes it is. I don't like him so I decided to make him an evil person. Seemed only natural. Hope you enjoy the chappie. And don't hate me too much when.well you'll find out soon enough.  
  
Also, I'm really sorry it's taking me longer to get the chapters up. With school starting and now I have two dance classes a week that I have to go to. I'm really trying to find more time to write, but you're just going to have to bear with me for right now.  
  
~~  
  
Yugi and Yami stepped into the entrance hall and the crimson-eyed teen halted, looking back at his lover. "That completes the full tour rather than the dinky one I gave you before. Any questions about anything or should I start on the rules?"  
  
The younger gave a big smile and shook his head. "Nope, I've got everything. So what're the rules for this place?"  
  
Yami shook his head and then started his way to the stairs, sitting down once he reached them and motioned Yugi to do the same. "The rules are simple enough. Tell somebody where you're going to be if you're going to leave."  
  
Yugi swallowed guiltily but otherwise looked innocent about already breaking that rule earlier.  
  
"No sneaking out a night either and basically all the other rules that you'll find in a basic home: jumping on furniture, stuff like that."  
  
The amethyst-eyed teen nodded. "Okay, that's settled. Can we do something now," He asked impatiently. "You've spent the whole morning giving the grand full tour, rather than pointing at doors like you did for the first tour, and now you've given the rules. Let's do something fun?"  
  
"Like what, Yugi?"  
  
"I don't know. We could go to the game room and play video games or something. You told me when you showed me that room that you have yet to find someone who can beat you at any of those games."  
  
"Yeah, what about it?"  
  
"My grandpa ran a game shop, remember? You don't think I actually just sat around and stared at them; no way, I played them. Now, let's go see if we can find a challenging game for the both of us and see which of us two is the better? That way I don't have to hear you complain that nobody can beat you."  
  
Yami smiled and nodded. "Alright, Yugi. Let's see what you've got."  
  
The couple walked off four the game room, hand in hand.  
  
~~  
  
Yugi and Yami stepped out of the game room, heading for their room to be alone, when Yami's mother called out to her son from the bottom of the stairs.  
  
"Yami, dear, you have a phone call! It's from your cousin Nuka!"  
  
"Okay, mother, I'm coming." He called back before turning to Yugi. "Just go wait in my room, Yugi. He's probably just going to go on about how his birthday went yesterday and than ask if he can come by for a weekend or so, just so he can check you out and see if you're worth stealing from me."  
  
Yugi giggled and nodded. "Okay, Yami. Not that it'll make a difference. I love you and would never want to leave you."  
  
Yami flashed him a smile and headed downstairs.  
  
~~  
  
Yugi closed the door behind him as he stepped into his and Yami's room. He looked around thoughtfully and smiled. 'This is my home now and my family. There's no place else that I would rather be than right here for the rest of my life or in a place of our own, just for Yami and me."  
  
His eyes glanced to the bed and he remembered the blue notebook that he saw before while looking for the other notebook with the recipe wanted in it. 'I really shouldn't. Yami must have it hidden for a reason and it's his own privacy too. He'd probably be upset if he came in and saw me looking at it.'  
  
He passed the bed and tried to get his mind on other things rather than his mind wandering to why the notebook was hidden underneath Yami's mattress.  
  
Finally curiosity got the better of him in a matter of minutes and he pulled out the notebook from under the mattress.  
  
Opening it he found a list of names and numbers next to them. He flipped through the pages and found that nearly every page was filled with the same thing. He turned back to the first page and looked at some of the names.  
  
'Ernie Dallas? Peggy Palino? Who are these people?' He thought curiously. Looking down the list he started to recognize a couple of the names. 'Mai Valentine and Miko Tsunami? Those were two students that were in Yami' class.'  
  
Yugi looked at the top and found a title written across the very top of the first page. 'Sex Counter? That's an interesting title. I wonder what.' Yugi's eyes widened as it all began to click. 'No! Yami wouldn't - he wouldn't want to - why did he keep this?'  
  
"Yugi, my cousin is going to come up for the weekend. Is that going to be - Yugi, what are you doing?" Yami questioned, looking at the notebook in Yugi's trembling hands. His eyes widened as he registered what it was. "Yugi, where did you get that?"  
  
Amethyst eyes looked up sadly, tears already starting to fill the, but being refused to fall for the time being. "Yami, why did you keep this after all this time? Do you actually miss what you were then?"  
  
"No, of course I don't." Yami walked shakily over to Yugi. "I meant to get rid of it, Yugi; I promise, but when I did I just couldn't let myself."  
  
"Why, Yami? Did I ruin your life that much that you wanted to remember what it was like before I came into it? Or were you hoping that you could add me to it; maybe you already did." Yugi's voice rose. His eyes widened at what he just said and he quickly thumbed through the pages, searching frantically for his name.  
  
A hand over his stopped his from looking, but he refused to move his eyes to look at Yami. "I would never do that to you, Yugi. I love you and I would never ever put you in. in this book. This book is something that I made because I thought it would be cool at the time. I haven't written in it since my junior year. The last time I ever really looked at it and was happy about it was when I gave it over to Joey for our bet. Besides, even if I was ready to burn it, my mother was always coming around or Keith and I don't want either to see it; both for obvious reasons. I don't want my mother to know what I've done. Keith because I don't want to give him the satisfaction that I actually believed everything he said to me.  
  
"Yugi, I swear to you that I didn't keep this because I was proud of it; I kept it because it was a reminder of the foolish things I turned to when there could've been another way out. Please, understand? I just couldn't burn it because it seemed like I was running from my problems again. I was going to get rid of it when I felt that I really had a right to get rid of it."  
  
Yugi closed his eyes in defeat and nodded. He still felt that not all of his trust in his boyfriend and yet to return. When he opened his eyes and focused on the page in front of him, still not wanted to look at Yami just yet, his face paled. In a whispered voice he read the name and number directly in front of his eyes. "Tea Gardner - 52."  
  
The crimson-eyed teen's face also paled considerably. 'After all the names his eyes had to land on it had to be the one that I did it with the most. Somebody must really be out to get me for some reason.'  
  
"Was she good?" Yugi's barely heard voice reached his ears in the silence of his bedroom.  
  
"No, Yugi. Even now I regret that I ever went to her. You have to believe me, Yugi: I never ever had feelings for her. Every name in this notebook, no matter how many numbers and especially Tea's, did I ever have any feelings for. Nowhere will you ever find a scrap that says your name, Joey's, Ryou's, Bakura's, Malik's, Marik's, Seto's, or any of the rest of our friends. I swear to you."  
  
"I understand, Yami. I don't like it or want to believe that you even wrote down whom you did and how many times, but I understand. Just, please," he pleaded like this counted on his life, "please, don't ever let me find this again, Yami. It hurts too much to see it, to know what he did to you and what made you ever consider doing this in the first place."  
  
"I promise I'll try. Here, I'll put it away until the time comes for me to get rid of it. Thank you for understanding, Yugi. Not many people would at least consider it."  
  
Yugi nodded and silently gave the book up. Trembling as he waited for Yami to return to his side to let him know everything was okay. 'Now I want to hurt Keith more than ever for what he's done to my Yami. All those people. but at least he didn't rape any of them - at least I hope he didn't.'  
  
Yami knelt down beside him and wrapped an arm around his shoulders. "Yami?" He whispered. After a 'hmm' in acknowledge was given he continued. "You didn't force any of them did you?"  
  
"Never, Yugi. After what I've experienced I would never do that another person."  
  
Yugi nodded and lent into Yami, enjoying the warmth eliciting from his body after the cold discovery. Yami wrapped his arms around his young love and kissed the top of his head, rocking him back and forth to calm him down.  
  
~~  
  
A few hours later Yugi and Yami were sitting outside in the garden, enjoying each other's company.  
  
Yugi shifted in his seat uneasily and swallowed. "Yami," he whispered.  
  
"Yes, koi?"  
  
"I'm sorry I looked at your book. I knew it was wrong of me and I tried to ignore it, but my curiosity got the better of me. Can you forgive me," he asked, looking down at the gravel and shuffling some around with his shoe nervously.  
  
"Of course, Yugi. It's my fault, I should've told you about it sooner. I never wanted to hide it from you, but for some reason I couldn't bring myself to tell you about it, or show you."  
  
"It's okay, Yami. I forgive you for not telling me about it anyway. It was just shock I guess."  
  
Their conversation ended when the sound of the doorbell reached their ears. Yami stood up and gestured to Yugi that he'd be back in a minute.  
  
~~  
  
Yami opened the door and was thrown back against the wall.  
  
"Yami-kins!!! Oh, I've missed you so much and now we can finally be together!" A high screechy voice screamed out as they cuddled him with hugs and kisses.  
  
Upon focusing his eyes he severely wished that he had kept them shut. "Tea!!! What the hell are you doing here!? Get away from me!!" Yami attempted to push her off but quickly realized his hands were pinned between himself and the wall and couldn't move them.  
  
"Never, Yami!! You'll never get away from me now!!! Not with that bothersome shrimp Yugi gone for good now! You and I were meant for each other!" She shrieked annoyingly.  
  
"But Tea -"  
  
Yami was silenced with lips placed over his. He struggled to get away but his expelled ex-classmate had a surprisingly strong grip on him making it impossible to move. Then suddenly Tea thrust one of her knees in between his legs and started to rub back and forth causing him to gasp and her slimy tongue drive into his mouth and explored freely.  
  
He's about to bite her tongue when a gasp echoes in his ears and Tea pulls away to see who was bothering her. Yami shakes his head to clear it and then looks up to see who gasped when, for the second time that day, wished he had kept his eyes closed.  
  
Yugi stood by the stairs by the stairs, gaping at what he's seen. Unable to believe his eyes but still knew it to be the truth. "Yami.I.she.how could you, Yami?" He asked in a cracked and shaken voice. Tears already pulled in his eyes for the second time that day.  
  
Tea sighed in annoyance and started to yank Yami outside where she could be alone. "So you felt sorry for the little twerp and let him live with you. It doesn't mean we can't still be alone together." She stated, the smirk clearly heard in her voice.  
  
Yami tried to fight her off so he could go to Yugi, but she still had an amazingly strong grip on his shirt. He was tempted to just wriggle out of the top but it wouldn't do much good as she had another grasp on his wrist.  
  
Fear clouds Yami's entire being as the door is slammed and he no longer has Yugi in his sight. 'I'm just an idiot!' He cursed at himself. 'I should have at least told him something instead of staying silent! Anything to have him know that it was all Tea's doing!'  
  
~~  
  
Yugi falls to his knees in hurt. The lump in his throat made it hard to swallow and even more so to breathe. 'Yami wouldn't.he told me.he said.but he.' He couldn't form a single coherent thought about what just happened. All he knew was that it pained him more than he'd ever hurt in his life. 'Did he really bring me here out of pity?' He finally asked himself.  
  
Shaking his head he tried to escape the thought, but it wouldn't leave him. He settled for clenching his eyes and hoping that it was all a bad dream and Yami would shake him awake any second and hold him until his tears stopped.  
  
Footsteps sounded in his ears and warm, comforting arms wrapped around his shaking form. He leant into the inviting heat and cried his tears into the person's shirt.  
  
After he'd calmed down a little bit the warm arms wrapped more securely around him and picked him up. His mind registered that it must've been Keith since Yami was far too busy at the moment to hold him and he doubted Kiore could've picked him up no matter how light he was right then, but he didn't care at the moment. He just wanted someone to comfort him so he wouldn't be alone.  
  
Yugi felt himself being carried to one of the rooms; he wasn't sure which one. He continued to hide his face in the cotton shirt as more tears slid out of his eyes. Soft words tried to comfort him, but all he could think about was Tea kissing his Yami and the notebook with Tea's name in it. His mind felt completely scrambled and he was confused about anything and everything at the moment that he couldn't register that he was going anywhere with Keith alone or that Yami might've been innocent.  
  
He felt himself being pulled away from his current haven and he clenched the tear-stained shirt in hi hands as tightly as he could, pleading not to be left alone. He gasped though as a pair of warm lips descended on his and a tongue sneaking into his mouth to explore his moist cavern.  
  
~~  
  
Outside Yami finally got his hands free and he shoved Tea away forcefully, wiping his mouth off quickly as if that would get the feeling of Tea's lips on his.  
  
Tea just giggled and fluttered her eyes in what she believed to be a sexy and flirty way. "Oh, Yami, you're so cute when you act like this. I love it when you're rough with me, Yami. I'm sure you can never act the way you want to when you were with that runt of an idiot, Yugi."  
  
"Shut up, Tea!" Yami growled. "I'm sick of you always picking on Yugi and I hate the way you act like you actually ever had a chance with me. I find you revolting and the most disgusting of creatures ever bred onto this planet and I never want to see you again! Don't you get it, you bitch! I hate you so just leave me alone!"  
  
"But, Yami, you must be mistaken. You're just -"  
  
Yami growled at her and, instead of replying, grabbed her very transparent blouse, which clearly showed she wasn't wearing anything underneath it and left nothing to the imagination, and dragged her down to the main gate. He threw her to the ground past it and slammed the gate shut. "If I ever catch you on my mother's property again I'll call the police!" 'And Keith'll go with you.' He secretly added. He jammed the lock into place and stalked angrily, but quickly, back towards the house to look for Yugi.  
  
The crimson-eyed teen looked around the entrance hall and then looked up the stairs, thinking Yugi went to their bedroom. He ran up to the second floor and glanced around the room. Panic started to flow through him when he couldn't find him. He sprinted back down the stairs and started to look desperately for him, knowing his little Yugi was lost to everything when he was upset.  
  
Thoughts of Keith taking advantage of Yugi's lost state he started to panic even further.  
  
"Oh, Yami dearest, there you are. You never told me what Nuka said on the other line. Is he well? Did he have a nice birthday?" Kiore asked her son as she spotted him coming out of the study.  
  
"Yes, mother, he had a very nice birthday." Yami breathed, trying not to look desperate to get away so he can continue to find Yugi before Keith did.  
  
"Sweety, are you feeling alright? You look deathly pale."  
  
"Oh no, mother. I feel terrific. Couldn't feel better." He lied. "If you don't mind, mother, I must hurry." His hopes dropped at the confused look on Kiore's face and he knew he'd have to explain. Racking his brain a light bulb sprang up. "You see, Yugi and I are playing this game and I'm on a time limit to find him."  
  
"Well then hurry up. I don't want to ruin your fun."  
  
"Thank you, mother." He turned and headed for the library, hoping Yugi went in there since books always seemed to calm him down the most. 'Escape to another world where reality could never be.' That's what he remembered Yugi telling him once about books.  
  
~~  
  
"You'll be a much better whore than that brat Yami could ever be."  
  
~~  
  
Yami froze as he heard that line and ice seemed to flow through him. 'No, Yugi!' All the cruel and hateful things Keith usually said to him when he raped him started to repeat themselves over and over again inside his mind.  
  
~~  
  
Keith then told Yugi as the violet eyes stopped shedding tears and looked at him in a dazed over and lost in another world way, but still listening to him nonetheless, "I'll take care of you now, Yugi. I can lover you right and I would never allow you to get hurt no matter what. Let me love you, Yugi." He ordered.  
  
To Yugi in his current state it sounded more like a question for permission to do something rather than being told he had no choice but to accept it. Without realizing it he nodded his approval of Keith's suggestion and didn't move or try to stop the fingers that began to unbutton his shirt and tug it from his pants, not hearing Keith's evil chuckles as he did so.  
  
~~  
  
Yami was pulled from his thoughts as foul laughter that could only be Keith and gasped once he turned one of the corners and saw what Keith was doing.  
  
"What the hell do you think you're doing?!" He demanded in a loud tone and was proud that it didn't hold any of the fear that was flowing through him.  
  
The voice startled Yugi out of his dazed world and he looked at Keith confusedly before wondering why he felt cold. He looked down and gasped as he saw that his shirt was nearly off by Keith's hands.  
  
Yami also startled Keith out of what he was doing and he stopped undressing his newest plaything, cursing to himself as Yami ruined his plans once more. 'What happened to that girl I called - Tea? I thought she was supposed to be keeping that monster busy.'  
  
Yami stomped over to where Keith was sitting with Yugi in his lap, stunned, and pulled him off of Keith and behind his back to keep him from his step dad's lust-filled like he did the first night Yugi came to the house. Relief flowed through him as he felt Yugi curl into his back, wanting his protection once it finally registered what was going on.  
  
He glared at Keith, ripping Yugi's shirt from his hands, and backed out of the library so he could keep his eyes on the sex-crazed man.  
  
Once outside the library Yugi collapsed onto Yami and cried out a bunch of 'I'm sorrys' to Yami as he whimpered in his chest.  
  
Yami wrapped his arms around his young lover and tried to sooth him the best he could, feeling at a lost of what to do since it was his fault Yugi had nearly been raped by Keith right under hi nose and in one of Yugi' favorite places in the house too.  
  
"I should be sorry, Yugi. I don't even know how Tea got this address; I swear it. I never gave anybody but my friends the house address and I know they would never give it to the likes of her."  
  
He carried Yugi to their bedroom and held him tightly for both of their sakes. He didn't know if he could live with himself if Yugi were ever touched like he had been by Keith. He'd never let Keith touch him. Not if he was around to stop it. 


	4. So Many Things to go Wrong

It was a few days later, after the incident with Keith in the library. Yami kept a close watch on Keith and Yugi since, but his stepfather hadn't tried anything in the past few days, but he knew Keith had to be planning something; he never gave up on his goals.

'I might have to tell mother soon if we have another close call like the other day.' Yami thought worriedly. 'What will she say? What will she think when she finds out I never told her? Would she even believe me?'

"Hello, Yami! Anybody home?" An obnoxious voice sing-songed as a fist knocked repeatedly on his head.

"Ow!" Yami pulled away from his cousin and rubbed his head where it started to throb. "Nuka did you have to do that?"

"Well you wouldn't answer me. Daydreaming of Yugi, were you? Have you done anything with him yet or is your relationship based solely on emotional attraction?" He teased.

"Nuka! I don't have to tell you anything!" He shouted, annoyed and extremely embarrassed.

"Aha! So you have done something with him!" Nuka whooped with joy. "You sly dog. All the way I'll bet too."

Yami flushed and looked away. 'I'm just glad Yugi isn't here right now. I hope mother isn't embarrassing him though.' He looked in the window's reflection to see what trouble his visiting cousin was getting into then.

Nuka was the same age, a little taller than Yami, he had bleached his hair blonde, and bright blue eyes that always reflected his joking personality. No matter how many times he came over, despite how long he stayed, Yami never tired of him or really meant the things he said about his being irritating or too old to be acting the way he did. Nuka was far from childish; he just liked to have fun.

Yami's cousin was looking through his yearbook from his senior year. He stopped at a picture of Yami and Yugi cuddling and laughed, the boys hadn't known that the picture was taken until they saw it in the yearbook months later.

"How come Yugi couldn't hang out with us? You mother seemed awfully keen to get him away." Nuka asked as he looked up from the pictures.

"I think she just wanted us to hang out alone since we haven't been able to see each other much. What, with Aunt Darine and Uncle Steven getting divorced. I still think they should've let you stay with us instead of sending you across the country to stay with grandpa but…."

"That does seem kind of pointless, doesn't it? I think they were just trying to keep me away from the commotion; or just get me out of the way. I mean, halfway across the country I can't really do anything but joke around with an old lady who doesn't really know what I'm saying. It takes all the fun out of things."

Yami laughed as he watched his cousin pout and pretend to cry into the pillows on the bed. "Stop being so melodramatic. Will Drouzer come near you yet?"

Drouzer, their grandmother's miniature pincher, was completely terrified of Nuka only because when he was five he tried to ride around on him like a horse and purposely ran him into the pool.

"Yup. Don't get why either. I was only playing the sheriff and was trying to rescue my noble steed from the icy waters of the Atlantic." He laughed.

"I don't think it counts when you push the poor dog into the water to begin with." Yami pointed out laughingly.

Nuka rolled his shocking blue eyes and jumped up excitedly off the bed. "I wanna see Yugi!" He shouted playfully, using the whiny voice that always got him whatever he wanted. "He's your boyfriend; why should your mother get to keep him to herself?"

Yami nodded and gestured for him to follow. "If I know mother, and I do, then she probably has my poor Yugi stowed up in her room for help with looking after Shiro."

"That's bad luck. Let's go rescue him then." Nuka paused for a moment, considering something before his eyes lit up. "At least this is a real rescue and it wasn't my fault."

Yami laughed as he decided to not voice his thoughts. 'Actually it is. If he hadn't come over than Yugi wouldn't be stuck there.'

Nuka knocked on his aunt and uncle's door and opened it slowly in case Shiro was asleep or if Keith were in there instead of the people they were looking for. He knew bits and pieces of what happened with Keith and Yami, but only because he figured it out on his own. He wasn't stupid, however idiotic he acted around school and easily figured it out; he didn't tell Yami though. If Yami hadn't told someone already, then he obviously didn't want anybody to know and Nuka respected that.

"Oh, hey U.K!"

Yami rolled his eyes at the abbreviation of "Uncle Keith." 'I'm just glad he hasn't called me 'Y' yet, though I guess as long as he doesn't give Yugi a nickname, I don't care.'

"Have you see Aunt Kiore or Yugi around anywhere. We wanted to know if he'd hang out with us. Yami tells me he's totally awesome when he has a controller in his hand."

"I believe I saw them in the kitchen last, Nuka."

"Cool, thanks." The blonde turned and headed for the stairs humming to himself cheerily. "Sorry to disturb you!" He called back as he started to jump down the stairs two at a time.

Yami turned to close the door and felt a shiver run down his spine as eyes bore into his skin. Looking up he repressed the urge to run and hide, Keith ran his tongue over his lips as he eyed Yami approvingly. He quickly closed the, door and sprinted to catch up with his cousin, meeting him in the kitchen where Nuka was talking to his mother.

Yugi was hiding shyly behind her back but he came out when Yami walked through the door. Yami smiled at him and opened his arms, at which Yugi gladly went into and snuggled up to him.

He could tell Nuka was about to ask his mother if they could steal Yugi away but his mother beat him to it.

"Yugi's been such a great help with Shiro, Yami. I could really use him more often if he'd like."

The violet eyed teen smiled up at Yami and nodded. "She's lots of fun, Yami. I never got to play with a baby before. Kind of makes me wish that I had a baby brother or sister for myself. You're so lucky."

Yami smiled and played with Yugi's hair. Nuka was just about to try again when his mother pulled a note from her pocket and shoved it on him. "Would you and Nuka go to town and pick up a few things for me?" She handed them some cash from her wallet. "It would be a big help. Yugi can stay and help with Shiro until you get back."

Yami tensed and he felt Yugi squeeze around his middle reassuringly. He relaxed a lit but held Yugi tighter. He tried to wiggle around his mother's influence, trying to spend time with Yugi. "Why can't Yugi come with us? Keith can help you with Shiro?" He repressed a shiver at the very thought Keiths paws on his sister, "Or maybe Nuka can stay. You two haven't been able to have a real conversation since he got here."

"Honey, Nuka's your guest. He's here to see you and you can see Yugi anytime since he's living with us. Don't be rude."

Yami sighed and tried to think of another way to get Yugi away from his mother, but he was pulled from his thoughts when he felt Yugi rub his face into his chest. Looking down he caught the slight twinkle in Yugi's eyes. He reluctantly nodded to his mother, knowing she could be a pain and ruin everything when she wanted to, and leaned down to Yugi for a kiss. After separating he whispered, "Be careful Yugi, Keith's still here so just stay with my mother," into his ear. At Yugi's nod he followed his cousin out the door.

"Sorry, Yami. I wish he could've come." Nuka said sympathetically, secretly adding his regrets about leaving Yugi with his aunt, who hadn't yet figured out why her son hated her husband, and Keith, who he figured was after Yugi as well.

Yami nodded and started a fast walk. 'I'll be back as soon as I can, Yugi. You'll be safe that way.' He thought as he looked over the list his mother gave him.

The phone rang minutes after Yami and Nuka left the house and Kiore went to answer it. Yugi followed her, carrying Shiro.

"Oh dear. Are you sure you're okay?" Kiore's cheery voice dropped to concern.

…

"Of course I can help. Will you be needing me long?"

…

"No, I'm not doing anything that can't be done later. Yami's out with his cousin, and his boyfriend Yugi is helping with Shiro. I'm sure if I asked he wouldn't mind."

…

"All right, that's good. I'll be there as soon as I can then, Marietta." She hung up the phone and turned to Yugi. "That was one of my friends. Her car's in the shop and her daughter's hurt herself and needs to be taken to the doctor. Would you mind watching Shiro by yourself for a little while? I won't be gone very long."

Yugi shifted to his other foot uneasily. Kiore took it for a sign of nervousness, but didn't know what to do.

"Don't worry, dear. It's very simple and she hasn't been a problem for you yet. If you have any questions I'm sure Keith can help too. He's upstairs if you need him."

'That's what I'm worried about. Yami'll be upset if I let this happen. Maybe I could convince her to let me come.' Before he could open his mouth though Kiore was waving goodbye and closing the door behind her; Yugi's heart sped up and he glanced at the stairs and heaved a sigh. 'Maybe if Keith doesn't know she's gone then I won't have to worry about it. I'll just stay in the kitchen and wait for Kiore, or Yami and Nuka to come back.'

Unfortunately, a few minutes later, his luck ran out. Keith walked into the kitchen with a smug look on his face.

"Hello, Yugi. Kiore just left, where did she go?" He asked, not caring if he got an answer as he eyed the violet-eyed teen up and down hungrily, licking his lips as he went.

"She went to help one of her friends. She didn't have a car and her daughter hurt herself so they needed to go to the doctor's." He answered, surprisingly calm as he parroted Kiore's words, though his insides were squirming with nerves. 'Maybe he doesn't know Yami and Nuka are gone.' He thought hopefully.

"Where are Yami and Nuka? It's too quiet, so they must be gone as well, hmm?"

'Damn!' He shouted in his mind. "They went to the store to get some things for Shiro." 'And will walk through the door any minute,' he prayed silently.

"So it's just you and me." Keith smirked proudly.

"A-and Shiro t-too." He stuttered. 'Darn, so much for not showing how utterly terrified I am.' He felt arms wrap around him and he jumped, praising the gods that he'd had the good sense to put Shiro down, for he would've dropped her if he hadn't. 'When did he get so close? I didn't even notice.' He started to shiver.

"Yes, of course. Can't forget my little girl." He whispered into Yugi's ear, causing another shiver to run through his body.

"I really should be looking after her, Keith." He swallowed deeply. "Kiore asked me to while she was gone."

"I'm sure you can spare a few minutes to talk with me, little Yugi. After all, you've been with Yami the whole time you've been here and now that he's with his cousin you don't have anybody until he leaves."

"I don't mind. I always spent my time alone at school until I met Yami so I'm used to being alone." He blurted out, looking for an excuse. 'Where're Yami and Nuka? How long was that list Kiore gave them?'

"Oh but a pretty little thing like yourself shouldn't have to be alone." The grip around his waist tightened and he could feel himself being lifted up.

"I'm not really com-comfortable with any of this, Keith. C-could you put me down, pl-please?" He stuttered, praying to anybody listening that Yami or Kiore would walk through the door and make Keith put him down.

"No, I don't think I will. You don't seem to realize just how irresistible you are, nor how hard it is to get you alone for a little while."

Yugi swallowed and willed his tears to stay back as he was carted out of the kitchen towards the stairs. "I'm not as good as you might think." He started to panic as Keith turned left and walked into his and Kiore's room. "You can ask Yami when he comes back. Our relationship isn't physical at all after our first time. He thought I was really bad and he didn't want to have a physical relationship afterwards." He lied, trying to persuade Keith out of it.

"No I think you'll be just perfect." He whispered seductively as he closed the door and locked it, throwing Yugi on the bed and crawling on top of him soon afterwards.

"Can't we just talk about this?" He whispered, scared out of his mind. "I'm sure there are plenty other way to relieve sexual tension."

"So Yami's told you about our sessions has he? As least the whore has had enough sense not to tell his mother. Of course, I'm sure he's just trying to get back to me."

"That's a lie!" Yugi burst out. He gasped though as Keith literally ripped his clothes off and he shivered as the cold air touched his skin, quaking in fear at the idea of what was happening to him. His voice was lost to him as Keith started to kiss him but his hands had minds of their own and started to push at Keith to make him move away.

Calloused hands grabbed his thin wrists in one hand and forced them above his head. Yugi tried pulling away, shifting his head to the side, but Keith was unperturbed. Tears started flowing out of violet eyes, Yugi was unable to stop them, just as he was unable to save himself from this predicament.

Keith's free hand slithered down his pale body and grabbed his limp manhood, pumping it harshly to bring it to life. Yugi cursed himself as his body started to betray him, his limp organ started to harden and rise.

The older man started to bite at his skin leaving red marks and teeth indentations on his body. Bruises started to form under Keith's hands as they crushed his hips into the bed and ran over his body.

He did not feel Keith shift until the most unbearable and terrible pain he'd ever felt in life shoved into his tight entrance and ripped a scream from his throat that could be heard from outside.

Nuka and Yami finally finished wrapped up their shopping trip, having acquired everything on the list Kiore had given them. Yami rolled his eyes as Nuka started to get dramatic again, calling out "We're free!" to the skies as he cartwheeled around in the grass as they walked back to the house.

"Come on, Yami!" He called from ahead. "Have some fun! You can't tell me you thought that was the least bit amusing!"

Yami just shook his head at his cousin and made to catch up with the blonde when a sudden foreboding feeling clouded his soul.

"Yami?" Nuka called as he noticed the ruby-eyed teen suddenly stop and concentrate on something. He ran back down to his cousin and watched him for a minute. "Cuz, what's wrong?"

"I don't know." He whispered, still not completing paying attention to the other teen. "Something just doesn't feel right."

Nuka shrugged and took the bags from Yami. "I'm sure when we get back to the house you'll feel better. It might just be because you haven't been with Yugi all day."

"Yugi? Keith!"

Nuka tensed and looked back at his cousin sadly. "You're mother's there."

It didn't register to Yami that Nuka practically told him he knew what was going on. Instead he started running back to the large house as fast as he could; only Keith could make him feel this sick to his stomach, and he knew that Yugi was in trouble.

Keith grunted as he released himself into Yugi before pulling himself out of the boy. "See, I told you that you'd be perfect." He smirked proudly, finally having achieved his aim.

Yugi whimpered as more tears leaked from his eyes.

The older man growled and slapped Yugi across the face. "Will you shut up?"

The slap across the youth's face caused his head to jerk and hit against the hard wall. He curled into himself but fell off the bed, his head smacked on the side table's corner, and he fell unconscious on the floor.

Yami burst through the door and ran into the kitchen, not stopping for breath. Shiro's cries filled his ears and he picked up his baby sister looked around worriedly for his boyfriend, panic clouding his senses. Where was his mother? Why wasn't she here? "Yugi?" He called loudly.

Nuka ran into kitchen and gasped for breath. He sat on one of the chairs after placing the bags he ran with on the table. He gasped as he saw Yami's panicked expression. "Yami?" He looked around. "Where's Aunt Kiore? And Yugi?"

"Will you shut up?" A muffled voice growled threateningly upstairs, muffled slightly from the distance.

Nuka jumped at the sound, not used to hearing such things nor said in such ways. He nearly had a heart attack when Shiro was thrust in his arms and a blurry Yami shot out of the kitchen. He quickly followed after securing Shiro in his arms.

"What the hell did you do?" He heard Yami shout angrily from the left of the stairs. He followed the voices and ended up in his aunt and uncle's room. He gasped as he saw the blood on the bed and Yami cradling an unconscious Yugi on the floor.

"He hit his head." Keith answered smugly. "He was even better than you, whore. That surprised me the most."

Yami growled at his stepfather and held Yugi to him tighter.

"Yugi, I'm back." A sweet voice carried up the stairs, his mothers voice.

Yami's blood red eyes turned to Keith. "We'll see how long you stick around when I tell my mother. I don't care about me but when you touch what I love most you're dead." He picked up Yugi, covered him in a blanket, and rushed downstairs to his mother.

"Oh dear." Kiore gasped when her son rushed downstairs. "What happened to him?" She asked as she rushed over to the three boys, Nuka standing next to his cousin.

"He fell down the stairs." Keith's cool voice called from the second floor. "Shiro played with her lunch and he wanted to give her a bath before you came back. Shiro was too slippery for him though and he tried to chase her and he slipped down the stairs. I've already called for an ambulance."

"No! That's not true!" Both Yami and Nuka shouted furiously.

"You boys shouldn't jump to conclusions." He smirked broadly. "You just got home when you found him and you just want someone to blame. It's all right boys, I understand."

Sirens could be heard outside followed by knocks on the doors. Kiore opened the door for the medics and they immediately went to Yugi, who was reluctantly given up by Yami. They placed him on a stretcher and wheeled him out the door and to the ambulance cautiously; one of the EMT's stayed behind. "Yugi's unconscious, so we're taking him to the hospital for medical treatment. His injuries will let us know what happened to him but I think he may have a concussion, possibly more."

Kiore nodded gravely and led him out.

Yami tried pacing to keep himself from exploding, Nuka tried to placate him but it didn't work. Finally Yami went over to his mother, shameless tears in his eyes. "Can you drive us to the hospital, mother? I don't care if he isn't going to wake up just now, but please? I need to be closer to him then this."

Kiore nodded and turned to Keith. "Can you take Shiro upstairs for her nap? I'm going to drive the boys to the hospital. We might be there for a while."

Keith nodded and carried Shiro upstairs while Kiore went to get the car, leaving the boys alone.

"I'm sorry this happened, Yami. It must hurt even more then when he did it to you."

Yami tensed and stared at his cousin. "Y-you knew? About Keith? About everything?" He asked faintly, disbelief and shock playing on his face.

Nuka nodded. "I figured it out some time ago; probably a couple months after the first time. I didn't say anything because you hadn't and I wanted to respect your privacy. I never told anybody, if that's what you're worried about."

Yami forced a tense smile. "Thanks, Nuka. I guess it saves the trouble of explaining."

"Let's go see Yugi now."

The cousins followed Kiore out to the car and slid inside it.


	5. Gome Home

Yami, Nuka, and Kiore arrived at the hospital about thirty minutes after the ambulance with Yugi did. Yami rushed over to the front desk with his cousin and caught his breath before asking the secretary about Yugi.  
  
"You'll have to sit and wait, I'm afraid, sweetie. That poor boy had a terrible concussion from what I saw and there was a gash on his head that was bleeding that needed to be taken care of immediately as well. Why don't you go wait over there with your," she glanced over at the blonde women standing behind the boys, "mother. If I get any word, I'll let you know?"  
  
Yami nodded, not trusting his voice anymore. Nuka patted Yami's shoulder in reassurance and glanced at the nametag on the secretary, "Thank you, Miss Klender," he said, smiling sadly.  
  
Doctors came in and out through the whitewashed double doors of the emergency room, and each time Yami seemed to get more and more anxious about Yugi, hoping one of the men and women in white lab coats would carry some news about Yugi's condition.  
  
Hours later, a brunette with graying hair walked out and over to the secretary for a second, bending over to ask her something. Miss Klender nodded and pointed to the group of three people that were watching him anxiously. The doctor nodded and walked towards them. Yami jumped up as he did and bombarded him question after question about Yugi before he the doctor could say anything.  
  
"You're friends of Yugi's?" The doctor finally asked when Nuka grabbed Yami's sleeve and told him to take a breather. The three nodded, Yami wanted to get to Yugi as fast as he could. "I'm Doctor Welkins." The doctor continued "I'm afraid," Yami panicked; everything that went wrong in his life started with those two words. "That Yugi has slipped into a coma because of his head injury; there's no telling how long he'll stay like that. You're still welcome to visit him of course, it might do better if you do come and try to talk to him. Some times patients are just lost deeply inside there own minds, only voices they recognize can bring them out of it."  
  
Nuka nodded on behalf of all of them and started to lead Yami out of the waiting room and towards the exit. "I think this is too much for my cousin in one day. He and Yugi are very close and I'm sure it would do better if he got some rest. We'll come by again tomorrow." He called over his shoulder to the doctor.  
  
~~  
  
Yami and Nuka went to the hospital for the next two days together. They'd been refused to see Yugi because of all the machinery and nobody wanted them to trip over anything or accidentally pull something important out of place. Yami had a problem with it at first and was fortunate that Nuka was there to calm him down. He felt a little better in the hospital than he did just sitting at home; at least at the hospital he could be told of any changes in Yugi's condition without dealing with the inconvenience of the miles between them.  
  
There was only one telephone call from the doctor but he had wanted to speak to his mother he didn't want to overhear any of it since he knew his mother would disapprove so he left the room. The doctor had sounded a bit worried though.  
  
"Hello?" Yami asked as he picked up the phone.  
  
"Hello, this is Doctor Welkins. I'm calling about Yugi."  
  
"How is he? Is anything wrong? Has he woken up?" Yami asked immediately.  
  
"No, I'm sorry. I'll have to speak to your mother, but I'm sure if she feels the need she'll tell you. Please, can you go get her? It's very important."  
  
"Yeah, hang on." Kiore walked past just as he said this. "Mother, the doctor wants to talk to you; it's something important about Yugi."  
  
Kiore nodded her thanks and watched her son leave the room before bringing the phone to her ear. "Hello?"  
  
"Mrs. Kamekage?"  
  
"Yes, there's something about Yugi?" She asked curiously.  
  
"Yes, I didn't want to tell your son this, I feel it would be more appropriate if you did. In any case, Yugi is doing very well, though he still hasn't woken from his coma.  
  
"That's good I suppose." Kiore said hesitantly, surely the doctors wouldn't be calling about something this trivial.  
  
"There's more of course." The doctor continued, "according to regulations, we're supposed to check our patients, like Yugi, who come in by ambulance with severe injuries. It's a procedure for the hypothetical, just-in-case as it were."  
  
"Of course, Doctor Welkins, did you find anything?"  
  
"I'm afraid we have, Mrs. Kamekage, and it isn't very good news at all. We know about your son's and Yugi's relationship because he's told us when he first came in here and we asked questions about Yugi. That's also how we know that he doesn't have any living relatives."  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Well, he informed us that he and Yugi occasionally engage in sexual intercourse. However, upon treating Yugi, we've found that there're recent signs for rape."  
  
Kiore gasped and her hand flew to her mouth. "Oh my goodness! Could you tell how long?"  
  
"Incredibly recently, we checked the day he came in, just so we could get him on the machines to help him breathe while in the coma. In my professional opinion, including today, it has been three days since it's happened."  
  
"But that's impossible!" She started to argue. "That was Saturday when Nuka and Yami were together for the day. Yugi had been with me the whole time except for when one of my friends called and needed my help. Only Keith was there and my husband would never have done such a thing!"  
  
"I'm afraid I have to say this, Mrs. Kamekage, but maybe you should find out just how well you know your husband. Talk to your son perhaps, even his cousin might know a few things."  
  
"I don't have anything to worry about when it comes to the trust I have in my husband, Doctor Welkins, but if you insist on it I will, I'll prove just how wrong you are."  
  
"If I am wrong, please accept my humblest apologies. I'm sorry to accuse your husband, Mrs. Kamekage, but if he was the only one at the time then he'll have to be guilty until proven innocent. Have a good day ma'am."  
  
"Good afternoon." Kiore placed the receiver back into the cradle a little harder than she intended to, full of indignant conviction. But the seed of doubt had been planted in her mind; she was already starting to see the flaws in Keith because all evidence pointed towards him. 'I'll have to talk to Yami; he's the only one I know will tell the truth.'  
  
~~  
  
Nuka had to go home before Yami went to visit on the third day Yugi was there, but Yami promised to call him if anything changed. It was on the fourth day that a doctor came up to Yami in the waiting room.  
  
"Mr. Kamakage, we have some news about Yugi; he's awake."  
  
Yami's eyes widened and he jumped up. "Please, can I see him? I just need to see for myself to know he's okay, please?"  
  
"I'm sorry, Yami," Dr. Welkins used his first name, having seen him so often in the past week that he'd gotten to know the boy quite well. "I have something very important to tell you about Yugi's condition. You might want to sit back down before I tell you." After sitting down reluctantly and watching the graying man in the white coat for a minute calculatingly, he nodded that he was ready. "Yami, we're afraid that Yugi's lost bits and pieces of his memory from when he hit his head."  
  
Yami's world suddenly froze and the words 'he's awake' repeating in his head crashed to a stop. "I need to see him," he jumped up suddenly after a moment of silence. "He'll know me, he has to!"  
  
Dr. Welkins nodded with a small smile and gestured for Yami to follow him. They twisted and turned through the halls, went up a few floors and walked a bit further until they stopped at a door with a chart on the wall next to it reading 'Yugi Mouto.' "I'll let you go in alone, Yami. I trust you won't mess around." Yami nodded, staring at the door. A beeper hooked on Dr. Welkins' belt suddenly went off and he looked down at it. "I'll have to let you go now. I have another patient that needs my attention. I trust you can find the way back?" Yami nodded and watched as the doctor turned and headed down another hall.  
  
Yami turned back to the door, he took a deep breath, and with a determined look set on his face, walked in. "Hey, Yugi."  
  
Yugi looked up curiously as the door opened but his face bunched in confusion when he saw who walked in.  
  
Yami sat down on the bed, unaware of the expression on Yugi's face.  
  
Yugi swallowed nervously and hesitantly opened his mouth and asked, "Excuse me, but who are you?"  
  
For the second time in ten minutes, Yami's world froze. Despite his pain and shock, he somehow managed to choke out an answer to Yugi. "I'm Yami, Yugi. You and I were together." He swallowed around the lump in his throat. "How's your head?" He asked abruptly.  
  
Yugi nodded, "It's okay. What do you mean together?" The teen asked innocently.  
  
Yami didn't think he could take this anymore. He wanted to see Yugi so badly and now he either wanted to shake Yugi crazily to try to get his little lover to remember, or make an excuse and run away. "It's. nothing important, don't worry about it. Well, you need your rest; I should get going." He stood and left the room before Yugi could say another heartbreaking word that told Yami he didn't recognize him.  
  
After making sure the door was shut completely he slid to the floor and let his tears fall. The words 'he doesn't remember me; he doesn't love me anymore' kept repeating in a continuous cycle in his mind.  
  
A hand on his shoulder caused him to jump and he looked up into bright green eyes.  
  
"Are you okay, honey?" the woman asked him, her wavy red hair falling in front of her face as she bent down to wipe his eyes free of tears.  
  
Yami shook his head, not trusting his voice to repeat what he'd discovered.  
  
She sat down on the floor next to him and pulled out a hankie, handing it to him so he could clean up a little bit. "Don't ask why I'm asking a complete stranger this though, because I usually don't care about anyone but me, but would you like to talk about it? I'm Tawny by the way, Tawny Miloki."  
  
Yami swallowed and nodded. "Yami," his voice croaked, "Hitokage." He took her offered hand and shook it lightly before he began to clean his face up.  
  
"Is it really bad? Like your mother or father?" She asked, trying to make it easier for him.  
  
"No, it's my. boyfriend, but I really shouldn't call him that now."  
  
"Why shouldn't you?" She asked confused.  
  
"He lost parts of his memory because he hit his head on the floor." He explained, neglecting how he managed to hit his head in the first place. "I went in there with my hopes up too high I guess. He doesn't remember anything about me and I just sort of broke."  
  
"That's okay; I would've done it too if I had a guy. Were you really close?"  
  
Yami nodded and wiped his nose on his sleeve. "Yeah, we were. Now I regret I ever having yelled at him when I really had no reason to. I'm just glad he didn't get mad at me for it." He told her absently, hoping she wouldn't ask what he was yelling about in the first place.  
  
"I'm sorry; what's his name?"  
  
"Yugi Motou; he looks a bit like me, without as much blonde hair, and he's got violet eyes. He's the most beautiful being I've ever laid eyes on."  
  
Tawny smiled at him and leaned against the wall more to get comfortable. "And I thought my reason was bad."  
  
"Why are you here?" Yami asked, glad to have the subject changed.  
  
"My mom's having a baby." She snickered. "My bet, it's a boy and he'll be an obnoxious pain in the ass as well as a spoiled brat. If I could pick though, I'd probably hope to have him a lot like you."  
  
Yami's eyes widened. "Me? Why me, you barely know me."  
  
"I know, but I already like you. I've only been talking to you for about," she glanced at her watch, "five minutes now and I can already tell that you're a really caring person who'll do just about anything for the one they love; am I right?"  
  
"I'd like to think that; Yugi tells me I'm like that all the time, but I don't think I am. Especially not right now, not after what I did. I wasn't there for him."  
  
"Tawny! There you are!" A scrawny blonde ran towards the pair. "Mom's just had the baby; it's a boy!" He shouted excitedly.  
  
Yami glanced at the boy and then Tawny and then back to the boy. "Okay, Jeice, I'll be there in a minute."  
  
"Okay." He turned and ran back down the hall he came from, almost running into a passing nurse and a man in a wheelchair on the way.  
  
Tawny turned back to Yami. "That was my stepbrother, Jeice."  
  
"I was starting to wonder; he didn't look anything like you."  
  
"Yeah, biologically I'm an only child, my mother's first. Then she divorced my dad for some stupid reason and married another guy where I got my first half-sister, Clara. It kept going like that for about five times until my mom finally settled on Jeice's dad. Since my mom has a really good lawyer she got to keep all the kids if she was their real mother every time she divorced."  
  
"Tough life then? I wish my mom would divorce my step-dad; I hate him."  
  
"It's not so bad, but I never have any time to myself anymore. Why do you want your mom to leave your step-dad?"  
  
"Let's just say that I know the real him and Yugi will too as soon as he remembers, if he doesn't know already. I'd rather not talk about that though; I don't like telling people unless I really know them, no offence."  
  
"None taken." She stood and wiped the dust off her khaki pants and pulled down her '1% Angel, 99% Devil' shirt. "I better go before they send the rest of the family horde after me, later. Good luck with your boyfriend!" She called out just before she turned the corner and disappeared.  
  
Yami smiled and stood up as well, slapping the dust off his pants as well. Surprisingly, he felt a lot better than he had before Tawny stopped to talk to him.  
  
~~  
  
A few days later, the doctors finally allowed Yugi to go home with only 'try your best to get him to remember' and vague instructions on what to do to help.  
  
Upon entering the house, Yugi looked around a bit before turning to Yami, only recognizing him and knowing him from the times he visited in the hospital.  
  
"Do you remember any of this place?" Yami asked gently as he gestured around the entrance hall.  
  
Yugi started to shake his head 'no', but changed it into a nod a second later. "I remember a little." He said hesitantly, trying to think at the same time. He pointed to the two doors on the left side of the room. "I know the one closest leads to the kitchen and the other leads to the dining room." The teen looked to Yami for affirmation.  
  
Yami nodded with a smile, but at that moment, Keith and Kiore walked in with Shiro. Yugi eyed them for a minute before breaking into a smile.  
  
"What do you remember?" Yami asked hopefully.  
  
"I remember Kiore. She was a very nice person and made me feel welcome, but.I can't remember anything else about her." Yami nodded towards Keith and asked about him. Yugi stood in thought for a minute and with an unsure frown he lent towards Yami and whispered, "I think he's a nice person, but I know something about him that's also really bad; I just can't remember what."  
  
Yami nodded, but didn't want to look too conspicuous because he was hiding something, so he straightened and pointed to the little one-year-old in his mother's arms. "How about her, Yugi?"  
  
Yugi shook his head. "I'm sorry, Yami. I don't remember anything about her." He looked down and started to shuffle his shoe back and forth, ashamed.  
  
"Don't be sorry, Yugi. That isn't your fault," he eyed Keith evilly as he said the second part. "That's Shiro, she's my half-sister."  
  
Yugi nodded to show he understood and started to walk towards the stairs. He turned back to Yami and motioned upstairs. "I remember that I slept somewhere upstairs, but I don't remember where exactly. Could you help me?" He asked innocently.  
  
Yami's faded smile returned a bit at the thought of Yugi's wanting his help and nodded. He followed Yugi upstairs and led him to their shared room. "This is our room."  
  
Yugi looked around for a minute and then to Yami with a confused expression. "Where did I sleep?"  
  
"In my bed," Yami answered uneasily, not sure how Yugi would take it when he didn't remember anything about him, "with me."  
  
Yugi quickly looked at the bed and stared at him with uneasily. He just nodded and walked over to the desk to sit down.  
  
Yami felt terrible, he didn't like Yugi's dejected stare at the bed. 'Maybe I could surprise him by making up a separate bed in here and telling him that if he wasn't comfortable, he could sleep in the made up bed. I suppose I wouldn't want to sleep in the same bed as someone I didn't know either.' Yami just watched Yugi until the younger boy asked if he could have something to eat. 


	6. Goodbye, Yugi

It took a few days to see what things Yugi remembered and what he didn't. It hurt Yami the most when he learned Yugi didn't have any recollection of him or of ever having a relationship at all in his life.  
  
Yami even had to cancel his cousin's next trip over to his house a few weeks after the 'accident'. Nuka had been upset but he understood and wished them all good luck.  
  
After the call had ended Yami went to look for Yugi and found him in the library. He smiled when he saw Yugi looking at the book he'd been reading; the one about dragons. A twinkle lighted up in his eyes as he realized he finally remembered the name of the book on his own - Dragons Through the Ages. (He'd found it hard to remember only because it had nothing to do with the book other than the 'Dragons' part.)  
  
Yugi looked up after getting the feeling he was being watched. He smiled sadly when he saw Yami standing by the door. It seemed like he was always smiling sadly towards Yami now only because he couldn't remember him from anywhere.  
  
Yami shuffled uneasily, unsure of what to say to Yugi anymore. Thankfully though, it was Yugi who broke the silence.  
  
The violet-eyed teen lifted the book to show Yami and let loose another sad smile. "I remember reading this once." He explained. "Only I can't remember what happens."  
  
"You're welcome to read it again if you want." Yami smiled back at him.  
  
Yugi frowned and gestured to the bookmark. "Aren't you already reading it though? Or somebody else?"  
  
Yami shook his head. "It's okay, Yugi. Go ahead and read it and I'll finish it when you're done." He told him. "Besides, I'm a slow reader and you'd never get it a day less than your eightieth birthday," he lied the last part; hoping Yugi would just take the book.  
  
The smaller teen gave out a large smile, overjoyed at being given the chance to read the book over again. He jumped off the large chair he'd been sitting in and hugged Yami tightly around the middle. "Thank you, Yami! I'm going to go to my room right now and start on it." He collected the book and eagerly left for his room. "Can you call me when dinner's ready?" The ruby-eyed teen nodded. Yami stayed behind, well after Yugi had left, with a hurt expression taking over his face and trying to force his tears away at what Yugi had just told him.  
  
Yami had given Yugi the guest bedroom on the other side of the bathroom ever since the day after he came home from the hospital. He'd told him that he wasn't really comfortable sleeping in the same bed with somebody who felt like a complete stranger to him. They'd even tried using different beds, but Yugi still hadn't felt all that relaxed. He'd been hurt immensely about it, but understood all the same and tried not to show how he really felt around Yugi so he wouldn't feel any guiltier with knowing he was hurting somebody.  
  
Yami hadn't seen Yugi the whole rest of the day, not until he went to get him for dinner. He knocked on the guest bedroom's door and opened it when he heard Yugi answer.  
  
"Dinner's ready, Yugi." He told him.  
  
"Thanks, Yami." Yugi replied, not looking up from the floor. The book was closed beside him with a slip of paper holding his place; not only but a few pages were past the beginning cover.  
  
'That's strange,' Yami thought as he saw the book. 'He's been up here for hours and he's only gotten maybe five pages finished. I know he's a faster reader than that.' He also noted with a twinge of regret that Yugi wouldn't look up at him for some reason.  
  
"We'll be waiting for you then." Yami closed the door behind him and headed for the dining room. The only thoughts of 'what's Yugi been up to all this time if he hasn't been reading' going through his head.  
  
~~  
  
Near the end of the day Yami found Yugi staring desolately at the front doors. Curious, he walked over to him and asked him what was wrong.  
  
Yugi turned to him slowly, a defeated look on his face. He looked as if he was trying to give some kind of smile to Yami but failed miserably. "I'm so sorry, Yami," He cried, tears starting to shine brightly in his eyes. "I've tried so hard for you - but I just can't take it anymore."  
  
Yami took a step back in worry. "What's wrong, Yugi? What's going on?"  
  
"I'm going to go stay with Joey and Seto."  
  
Yami was surprised at the answer, but as soon as he realized what was going on his heart clenched even more painfully than when Yugi had asked him for a different room. At least then he would still see Yugi during the day, but moved out he was sure to fall even further apart than he already had.  
  
"I've already called them and they're going to be coming to pick me up soon," he gestured towards his bags that Yami hadn't noticed earlier.  
  
Yugi had remembered Joey and Seto when Yami showed him a picture of them together. It was surprising to him that he remembered nearly everything about them and with amazing accuracy as well.  
  
The doorbell rang shortly after their short conversation had ended and Yugi opened the door, smiling up at his blonde friend and his boyfriend. He then picked up his bags and headed for the car, turning back to Yami and apologizing once more.  
  
"I am sorry, Yami, please believe me. I wouldn't do this if I didn't think it was for the best. About what happened with my memory, it's my fault too, Yami. It's my fault and I know that only because I can feel it inside and every time I try to remember it hurts even more like I don't want to remember how I lost it." He turned and stepped into the car, Seto's driver closing it behind him.  
  
Joey turned to his best friend and gave him a comforting hug. "Sorry about this, Yami, I know you've probably been hearing it a lot but it's true. He pleaded with us before we agreed to let him stay; we really wanted him to stay with you."  
  
Seto, not knowing what to say, just nodded his agreement with what Joey said and then gave him a hug before they left.  
  
The minute after they closed the door, Yami ran up to his room and locked himself in, crying until no more tears came out and his voice turned hoarse. He didn't leave his room until noon the next day only to wrap himself up in the library, where he noticed Dragons Through the Ages placed on the center table in front of the chair Yugi had sat in when Yami had given it to him.  
  
Yami was miserable without Yugi around, with or without his memory. The house was quiet and seemed too empty. Also, once more, he was the main target for Keith. Every chance his stepfather got he would attack Yami to satisfy his lust for him and leave him soon afterwards to cry for the guilt he felt towards Yugi about letting what Keith did to him happen.  
  
~~  
  
Yugi was also miserable; he noticed not long after he was alone in his new bedroom within Seto and Joey's large mansion how truly alone he felt. When near Seto and Joey it didn't feel so bad, but still a little painful for some reason. It only started to hurt when he had first left Yami's house, but near his two friends it wasn't so bad and thought it to go away soon.  
  
Now, alone, he felt it increase by a hundred fold; he didn't understand it either. He'd never felt it when he was with Yami. He always felt some kind of pulls towards the older teen, but he didn't understand it enough to mention and was still afraid of his loss of memories; afraid he'd get thrown more pity at him for something else he couldn't remember. It only took him but a short while to figure out that he was only hurting because he wasn't with Yami and it was his fault for doing so.  
  
Briefly he wondered, as he cried silently into his pillow on the bed, if Yami was feeling as horrible as him or if he even cared that he'd left.  
  
"Don't hate me, Yami." He chocked hoarsely into his tear-dampened pillow.  
  
~~  
  
After a couple of months Yugi gradually remembered more things, but he still couldn't remember anything about Yami, no matter how hard he tried to.  
  
Joey had told him what had happened to get the two together, but he couldn't remember it happening.  
  
"Don't worry about it, Yuge. If I know Yami as well as I think I do, which I'm pretty sure I do, than he still loves you and always will. He'll wait a lifetime and another for you as long as he knows there's still hope you'll want him. Even if you didn't he wouldn't want anyone else."  
  
Yugi almost told him about how he's felt since he left Yami's house, but decided against it.  
  
That night Yugi could be found sleeping restlessly on his bed, twisting and turning in the thin sheets and shifting from one side to the other, and grabbing the sheets every so often in a white knuckle grasp.  
  
Yugi was standing in complete darkness. Only one light seemed to be coming from somewhere above. No matter how fast he ran towards Yugi never seemed to be coming any closer.  
  
Then a shadowed person appeared where the light was shining. It didn't occur to Yugi that that should be possible if they were standing in a light, but he still tried to reach it. Finally, Yugi could make out the person as the shadows around them faded away into the darkness still surrounding the light. It was Yami; and he was watching him with broken eyes and melancholy and pain etched all over his figure. Somehow though, just by seeing how Yami was acting, Yugi couldn't help but clutch at his heart as it clenched painfully in his chest.  
  
As Yugi could feel himself beginning to wake, unable to force himself to stay sleeping any longer, Yami turned and started to walk away from him and the light vanished turning the entire scene black.  
  
The amethyst-eyed teen collapsed to the dark floor and started to cry.  
  
Yugi's eyes burst open and he lay on the bed in a gasping heap, dried tear tracks coursing down his pink-tinted cheeks.  
  
'Why'd he walk away from me?' Yugi thought in desperation. 'He promised he'd always be there for me; he promised!' He cried, tears starting to refresh the dry tracks on his face. "Joey told me he had." He whispered quietly.  
  
He didn't know what had come over him. The teen couldn't even remember Yami and yet he felt terrible pain by being away from him and that the dream that wouldn't seem to get lost in his scrambled mind hurt him the most when Yami had looked at him like he had and then walked away from him.  
  
"Yami, what's going on with me? Why does hurt so much when you're away when I don't even know who you are?"  
  
~~  
  
Yami sat in his bed with dry tears still visible on his face and blood smeared down one side of his face. Keith had just finished another of his play times with him and left him broken just like the previous times. He'd left a 'love bite' for Yami on his neck deep enough to draw blood. He licked some of the blood from his neck and swiped it down his cheek instead.  
  
The ruby-eyed teen felt he couldn't take much more of his life if this was how it was going to stay. He'd kill himself before Keith got the chance to touch him again.  
  
'Why do I let him touch me?' The thought often flit across his mind, mostly just after he was used and thrown away like an old toy. The answer always became the obvious soon after, as though somebody inside his mind was answering for him. 'You didn't want to see you're mother's disappoint in you if she ever found out.' He'd told Yugi though and he found out Nuka knew all along after the 'accident'.  
  
'What if she wouldn't be disappointed though?' He'd then ask; it was almost a routine for him.  
  
'She would be. She loves Keith and you'd be taking that away from her if you ratted him out.'  
  
The voice once again knocks sense into his head. Ever since his father had died Yami promised himself he'd do anything to make her happy and he hasn't yet broken it.  
  
Then thoughts of what had happened to Yugi and how he must've felt when Keith used him and then made him lose his memory, lying about it when asked.  
  
Anger overtook his thoughts and he stormed out of his bedroom and into the bathroom to wash his face.  
  
It felt a little dizzy and it never failed to be noticed by Yami that Keith had started to get rougher and harder with him since he took Yugi. It was sometimes too painful for him to stand and it would worry his mother sometimes when he wouldn't come down for hours.  
  
Looking at his reflection in the mirror the same anger flared in his face. Bruises covered his face and Yami had taken to sneaking his mother's makeup to cover it up; Keith was starting to get careless. Rage then took over the anger as he remembered how Yugi had looked when he saw him laying unconscious in the bedroom. Unable to control his actions his fist came up and before Yami knew it his knuckles were covered in blood and the mirror was cracked into different sized shards.  
  
He ignored the mess he made and all but ran down the stairs to find his mother; he wasn't going to let himself or Yugi or anybody else be touched ever again.  
  
"Mother?" Yami felt like growling, but kept his tempter in check. He was glad to find her alone.  
  
"Yami, dear," Kiore gasped. "Yami! What happened to your face?" She rushed over to him and caressed the cheek with the blood smeared on it. It didn't take her long to look down and see the bite on his neck with a large green and blue bruise forming around it.  
  
"I need to tell you something important, mother." He told her, not bothered she was touching his sours.  
  
Kiore nodded and looked him over, frowning at the bruises also forming on his arms and what looked like red rashes over his wrists. She sat down on the kitchen chair behind her and continued to hold Yami's hands in hers, hoping somehow that it would help the both of them.  
  
"It's Keith, mother. Keith's been doing this since the summer of my sophomore year. I didn't want to tell you because I thought you'd be disappointed and I knew how much you loved Keith."  
  
"What's he been doing, Yami? What's happened to you?" She asked worriedly.  
  
"He's been raping me, mother."  
  
"That's outrageous," a laughing voice joked from the corner.  
  
Yami turned and didn't know why a sudden sense of fear overcame him as he moved closer to his mother.  
  
"Kiore, dear, he'd obviously out of his mind. You've seen how he'd been acting ever since Yugi left for what-his-name's place; he's gone out of his mind with heartache and wants to blame it on the only person in the house when the accident occurred; even when he knows what happened for real."  
  
Crimson eyes flared dangerously and he growled low in his throat. "I do know the truth, you bastard! You raped him and didn't care when he knocked his head on the floor and the dresser!"  
  
Kiore gasped and was suddenly reminded of the phone call she'd received from the doctor about Yugi showing signs of rape. 'But how did Yami know that? He didn't listen to it.' Realization suddenly dawned on her, not comprehending anything gone around her at the minute. 'Keith must've raped Yugi and caused him to lose his memory just like Yami was saying.' It easily became clear why Yami would never try and get along with Keith either.  
  
Looking up she nearly shrieked. Yami lay on the floor in a bloody heap staring daggers at Keith. A large bruise was forming over his right eye, forcing it closed.  
  
"Yami!" She turned to Keith. "What've you done?" She dropped to her knees and cradled her son in her arms, his head resting in her lap still glaring the best he could at Keith.  
  
"The boy's gone mad, Kiore. He was going to attack me and I had to do something to protect myself."  
  
"By hitting him?" She felt like screaming. A loud cry echoed through the house and Shiro made the point of being awakened by her nap. Nobody made a move to go take care of her though.  
  
"It was the only thing I could do; he left me no other choice, Kiore. You're son has been going mad ever since that boyfriend of his left and he wants to place the blame on somebody other than himself. Stop acting like he's five-years-old because he's not!" He argued back.  
  
Shiro's cried became unable to ignore and Kiore motioned for Yami to go take care of her. Yami understood and stood, wobbling a little to gain balance, and hurried off towards his mother's bedroom.  
  
"I'll take care of my son however I want until he asks me to treat him differently!"  
  
"No wonder he's such a selfish snob; you treat him like that he was bound to turn into one! I told you once we married that he was going to have to be taken care of for that attitude of his and you said it was only temporary for the change! Now look what you've done!"  
  
"Yami chooses to act like because of what you've done to him! I envy him for how long he's been able to hold you off on his own!"  
  
"I HAVEN'T DONE ANYTHING TO HIM!"  
  
Kiore flinched at his loud voice, scared of what he would do to her if he would hit Yami the way he had without guilt. Before she could react he had grabbed her wrists and held her back against the wall, raising one of his hands to slap her.  
  
"Mother!"  
  
Before Keith knew it Yami tackled him from behind and Kiore escaped from the kitchen and locked herself in her bedroom as soon as she got there, finding Shiro playing with her toys on the bed.  
  
Minutes later a near silent knock rapped on the door and Kiore hesitantly opened it, keeping sure to leave her foot behind the door so she could close it quickly if the need came. Gasping as she saw Yami collapsed in front of the door she dragged him inside.  
  
"Yami!" She called to him, hoping with her life he was going to be okay.  
  
"He's unconscious, mother." Yami managed to say. He looked even worse than when she last saw her and looked near to being knocked out as well. She kissed his cheek gently and nodded. "Okay, honey. Just rest and I'll take care of it from here." Tears shown in her eyes as she saw her son flinch in pain as she moved him carefully from her lap.  
  
She went to the phone and dialed for the police.  
  
"Can I have officers come to my house immediately, please. My husband just attacked me and my son and we don't know how long we have until he wakes up." She rushed out over he tears, glad her voice hadn't cracked.  
  
"Thank you so much. I really appreciate it. The address it 209 Talino Drive."  
  
She hung up the phone and rushed back over to her son lying in stillness on the floor, blood soaked into the carpet around him. He'd gone unconscious while she was on the phone. Not wanting to leave him again, even if just a few feet, she'd ask the police to give her a ride to the hospital.  
  
Fifteen long minutes later a knock rapped on her door and she asked shakily who it was.  
  
"Ma'am? It's the police; we've got you're husband."  
  
Relief washed over her and she stood to unlock the door.  
  
"Thank you, officer. There's a few more charges on him as well, but may I ask a favor first?"  
  
"Of course, ma'am. What's wrong?" He asked comfortingly.  
  
Kiore gestured to her and son and she even saw the policeman's eyes widen at the sight. "Please, may I have a ride to the hospital?" She pleaded desperately.  
  
"Of course, of course." He rushed over and picked Yami gently up in his arms. "I wouldn't have it any other way."  
  
Kiore followed him downstairs and into his car, watching as he carefully placed Yami in the seat next to her before driving off. She briefly saw in the car next to her that Keith was slowly starting to wake. She'd hate to be in the car when he finds out what's happened.  
  
"You can tell me the other charges once we get your son some help." The man told her as they pulled onto the main road.  
  
"Thank you." She whispered, her eyes turning to watch her son for the ride and hoping he'd be okay. 


	7. Come Back to Me

Kiore paced through the waiting room of the hospital, anxious to hear how her son was doing. She looked up several times from the floor when a doctor or nurse walked through the double doors, but her hope disintegrated when they headed to the front desk to talk with the secretary there or to another person or group waiting for news on a loved one.  
  
"Mrs. Kamekage?"  
  
Kiore looked up into the kind-looking eyes of the doctor in front of her. She nodded and waited expectantly for him to continue.  
  
"He's awake; you can see him now if you want."  
  
She nodded, happiness filling her being that she could see Yami. "How is he?" She asked quietly as he started to lead her through the white doors and into the maze of halls.  
  
"He's doing quite well actually, he must be a very determined young man."  
  
"He is." She agreed.  
  
"I'm afraid he won't talk to anyone though." The doctor told her as they stepped in the elevator, pressing for the fourth floor. "That's why I came for you. I was hoping since you're his mother you'd be able to get some sort of reaction out of him."  
  
Kiore gasped and her hands flew to her face. Concern and fear rushed through her now, replacing the happiness that had been there not five minutes ago. She couldn't help but wonder if that was partially her fault he won't talk to anybody.  
  
The doctor stopped in front of a door with Yami's name written in the slot on the door. "I'll wait out here for you."  
  
"Thank you." She opened the door and shut it behind her. She felt a little hurt that Yami hadn't even looked up at her or acknowledged she was there. "Yami?"  
  
Crimson eyes widened and their gaze turned to Kiore. Quickly, Yami hurled the sheets off his form and he rushed over to her, pulling the machine hooked to his arm through a needle over with him, and threw his arms around his mother's neck. "Mother, are you okay? He didn't hurt you, did he?"  
  
"No, honey, I'm okay; thanks to you."  
  
Teary eyes looked down into her emerald ones and she couldn't hide the small smile that appeared on her face.  
  
"How are you feeling?"  
  
"I don't think I've ever felt this sore in my life. I have so many bruises covering me then I know what to do with and it hurts to do anything."  
  
"Let's go back over to the bed; I don't think the doctors would appreciate you being all over the place just yet." She suggested.  
  
Yami nodded and let his mother help him back into the bed and cover him again. "Has Yugi come?" He asked hopefully.  
  
Kiore couldn't bring herself to speak at first. How could she tell him that she hadn't seen him since he left for Joey and Seto's place? Reluctantly, she shook her head 'no'.  
  
Yami's face fell and he wiped his eyes carelessly. "Can't say as I'm not surprised. He doesn't remember anything of me so why should he come?"  
  
"Don't be like that, Yami dear. It'll come back to him one day and then maybe you'll be able to be together. If not then maybe is wasn't meant to be."  
  
Yami nodded sadly. "I just wish it were, mother. I love him and he doesn't even know he used to for me." He looked up into her light green eyes. "Can I call Joey when we get home?"  
  
"Of course you can, sweetie." She caressed his cheek lovingly and she smiled when he closed his eyes and moved into her hand. "I'll go ask when they'll you out. I'll be right back." She stepped away and walked over to the door, flashing a smile back at her son before she disappeared behind it.  
  
"Did it work?" The doctor asked hopefully when he saw her come out.  
  
Kiore nodded with the same smile on her face. "He wants to know when he can go home." She explained.  
  
The doctor moved to the charts beside the door and scanned through them. "Everything seems to be fine. We're waiting for a few tests to come back about a few of his injuries, but if they come out okay then I don't see a reason why he can't go home in a couple hours maybe."  
  
Kiore nodded and opened the door again. "Thank you." She beamed at him. "Yami, the doctor said if your tests come back okay for a few more things than you can go home in a couple hours."  
  
Yami smiled at her and nodded. "I hope so. This place reminds me of when Yugi came here." He shivered.  
  
"I know, honey, I know. We can only hope for right now." She took his hand and rubbed her thumb over the back of his lovingly. "Why don't you try going to sleep? I know you haven't been sleeping well since Yugi left."  
  
Yami nodded and closed his eyes, finding it easier to relax with his mother with him.  
  
~~  
  
Yugi groaned as he heard moans and rather loud murmurs of love coming from Joey and Seto's bedroom. He couldn't understand how they could find the energy to keep going like they were. He decided to go for a walk and hopefully come back when they aren't loving each other physically.  
  
Writing a note and leaving it taped on his friends' door, he quickly left the large house and set off down the street.  
  
It didn't seem to matter if he did just leave behind two people who were hopelessly in love with each though. As he walked down the sidewalk he saw too many couples walking passed him and even the stores seemed to be against him. Heart-shaped candies and flowers were shown in shop window and he couldn't help but notice that his chest seemed to clench as he saw them.  
  
He passed by an electronics store and the T.V. in the window was showing the news. Yugi stopped and opted for seeing what was going on in the world. He lazily looked at the picture of person who was arrested earlier that day that was being shown and he gasped.  
  
"That's Keith!" He quickly shut himself off to listen to what the reporter was saying.  
  
".and that he attacked his wife and stepson earlier today. His stepson, Yami Kamekage, is currently in Domino hospital and might be released in just a few hours. Good luck, Yami.  
  
"In other news."  
  
'Why would he attack Kiore and Yami?' Yugi wondered curiously. 'Is that what I was worried about when I first saw him, or was it something more?  
  
'I should go see Yami; he did help me out after all.' With that thought in mind he started heading for the hospital hoping that Yami hadn't been released yet. Otherwise, he'd have to ask Seto or Joey if they could take him to Yami's place.  
  
Arriving at the hospital he went to the front desk and asked if he could see Yami Kamekage.  
  
"What's your relationship with him, cutie?" The lady asked.  
  
Yugi rolled his eyes; he hated it when people said that to him. "I'm his boyfriend; I saw what happened on the news and wanted to make sure he's okay." He explained to the lady without a second thought, nor realizing exactly what he said.  
  
"What lucky boys you are to find each other. I think that's adorable." She rustled through some papers and looked through him. "He's in room 623; it's on the fourth floor and to the right of the elevator."  
  
"Thank you." He nodded and turned for the double white doors.  
  
Arriving at the door he knocked cautiously on it, not sure if Yami would like it if he came here when he couldn't remember who he was.  
  
~~  
  
Kiore opened the door and gasped at the visitor. "Yugi? What are you doing here?"  
  
"I saw what happened on the news and wanted to make sure he's okay."  
  
She nodded and motioned him in. "I'm going to go out for some fresh air for a little bit. He should be waking up soon I think."  
  
"Okay." He whispered and turned to the sleeping Yami.  
  
Just like Kiore had said, Yami started to wake up a few minutes later. "Yugi?" He asked sleepily.  
  
Yugi just nodded and waited for him to wake up further. "I saw what happened on the news. Are you okay?"  
  
"Yeah." He rubbed his eyes to remove the sleep from them. Realizing something he looked at Yugi with a confused expression. "Yugi, how'd you get up here? Hospitals always ask if you have some sort relationship with the patient."  
  
"Oh that, it was easy. I told them I was your." Yugi's jaw dropped as he suddenly realized what he had said.  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"I said I - that is I said I was your boyfriend and she told me where to find you."  
  
With that said Yami's jaw also dropped. "You said that?"  
  
Yugi nodded shyly and turned his back to Yami. "I'm sorry; I don't even know where that came from. It just came out, but it felt so right I didn't give a second thought about it."  
  
"Don't be sorry, Yugi!" Yami hurriedly said. "That could be a good thing, maybe your memories are coming back!" He yelled excitedly.  
  
Yugi smiled and turned back to Yami. "Thanks, Yami. That means a lot to me." He reluctantly added, "I don't really remember anything about you though so that's what has me confused."  
  
"Your memories might not know me, but your feelings just might and that's why you said what you did."  
  
"Maybe." He turned to look at the clock on the wall. "I should be getting back. If Joey and Seto are done loving each other then they'll be worried about me if I don't get back soon."  
  
Yami held in a laugh at Yugi's choice of words for 'making love'. 'He always did try and beat around saying stuff like that.' He thought happily. "Can I call you later?" He asked hopefully.  
  
Yugi thought about it for a minute before smiling and nodding. "Sure, let me know how you're doing later. I was worried about you when I heard you were in the hospital." He gave a shy blush at what he'd just admitted. He waved and headed for the door.  
  
"Yugi?" Yami quickly called him back. "You can always come back to my place if you wanted to." He blurted out before he could stop himself.  
  
"Thanks, Yami, but no thanks. I saw the way you looked at me there and I don't want to hurt you." He turned and left.  
  
"But you're killing me when you're not near me, Yugi. I'd rather you be near and not remember me then be apart and not remember me. I still love you." He whispered, a few tears slipping from his eyes.  
  
Kiore stepped back into the room. "Honey, did you and Yugi get along okay?" She asked, concerned.  
  
"Yeah, mother, just fine."  
  
"Oh," she sighed with relief. "What happened then? I saw him pass by in the halls and he was crying."  
  
Yami was surprised at this. "He was?"  
  
Kiore nodded. "He looked really upset; what happened?"  
  
Yami quickly shook his head. "It was nothing, mother. It's all my fault. I asked if he would come back and he said it would hurt him too much." He bent the truth a little, not wanting to tell his mother the truth and make it seem like Yugi was the bad guy.  
  
"Alright then." She said skeptically. "The doctors stopped me in the hallway too. They said you can go home now; everything's okay."  
  
Yami just nodded and got out of the bed, grateful to be going home; especially after what just happened with Yugi. 'I'll sit in my room for the rest of my life. Maybe if I sit in the mirror long enough I'll be able to see Yugi at least a little bit. Everyone did say we looked a lot alike.' He secretly planned. 


	8. Bits and Pieces of my Past

Yugi arrived back at Seto and Joey's place and smiled lightly as he saw his note had been taken off the door, meaning the other two had come out. He went in the guest bedroom that Seto had given him and lay down on his bed, feeling somewhat exhausted.  
  
"Why did I tell that lady I was Yami's boyfriend?" He asked himself out loud. "Could it have really been my memories coming back to me like Yami said?"  
  
He rolled onto his side and looked out the window, down on the street watching people walk by, some more quickly then others. Across the street he saw a boy and a girl run towards each other and hold each other affectionately, smiles on both their faces.  
  
"I wish Yami would hold me like he used to at school; that was so comforting." He mumbled just before he fell asleep.  
  
Joey smiled and closed the door after he heard what Yugi had said. "Seto, I think our Yugi is coming back to his senses."  
  
"Why's that?" Seto called from the couch, flipping through channels to try and find something interesting.  
  
"He told the secretary at the hospital he was Yami's boyfriend without realizing it and now he just said he wish Yami would hold him like he did at school."  
  
Seto dropped the remote on the couch in surprise and looked at Joey. "He is?"  
  
Joey smiled and nodded.  
  
"That's wonderful, Joey. Soon they'll both be happy again."  
  
~~  
  
Yami reluctantly walked into the dining room and sat down glumly. He hadn't wanted to come out of his room, but his mother had threatened to bring him back to the hospital if he didn't eat something.  
  
"It's about time. You should get out of that room more often, it's not healthy to stay cooped up like that."  
  
"Yes, mother." He replied quietly.  
  
"I know you want Yugi back, honey, but these things take time. Remember what I said at the hospital about it?"  
  
"I remember." He picked up his fork and started poking his food.  
  
Kiore watched him sadly. 'I wish there was something I could do for him, but the only thing he wants is Yugi back.'  
  
An idea suddenly came to Kiore and she couldn't wait until she was alone to get started.  
  
"Things will turn out for the better, Yami dear. You'll see." She gave him a motherly kiss on the cheek and quickly left the room to get started.  
  
~~  
  
The telephone rang and with Joey and Seto having 'dessert' in their bedroom Yugi was left to answer it.  
  
"Hello? This is Yugi speaking."  
  
"Ah, Yugi, just the person I wanted to talk to."  
  
Yugi thought for a minute before he recognized the voice. "Kiore?"  
  
"That's right, how are you feeling?"  
  
"Okay I guess. Is everything okay? How's Yami?" He couldn't help asking the last part.  
  
"Everything's fine here. Yami's a bit upset though. I had to threaten to take him to the hospital again if he didn't eat something. Actually, that's why I called. I wanted to know if you could do a favor for me?"  
  
"I'll try; what is it?"  
  
"I figured Yami hasn't seen all his friends from school in a long time and that it might cheer him up. It would do him wonders if he would just smile again. Would you mind coming over tomorrow? And bring Joey and Seto with you?"  
  
"Sure, Kiore. I could do that; I'd do anything for Yami." He replied without thinking about it.  
  
"Yugi, are you sure you're okay?"  
  
"Sure, I am. Why?"  
  
"You just said you'd do anything for Yami."  
  
"I - Oh, that's been happening a lot. Yami told me at the hospital that it might have something to do with my memories coming back to me."  
  
"Well I'm glad. Maybe then things will be able to come back to normal. But.would you mind if I asked you a personal question? It's been bugging me a bit lately and it would just help if I knew."  
  
"I suppose you could. I do recall you telling me once that I'm part of your family now, but it's kind of fuzzy."  
  
Kiore smiled into the phone even though she knew Yugi couldn't see it. "Do you feel anything for Yami anymore? Even if it's just a small thing?"  
  
Yugi faulted. Did he feel anything for Yami? He had been feeling strange around him though he only rubbed it off as not being able to remember him. 'What of that dream I had of Yami a few nights ago? Did it mean anything?' "Would you tell Yami if I told you?"  
  
"Only if you said it was okay."  
  
"I don't want to get his hopes up when it only turns out to be a fluke. I've already hurt him so much without even meaning too and I feel guilty enough." He took a deep breath and continued. "I think I do feel something when I'm around him, but I'm not very sure."  
  
"Thanks, Yugi. How about tomorrow you try spending time with Yami? It might help with your memories."  
  
"I'll try that. Goodbye, Kiore. I'll see you tomorrow."  
  
"Goodbye, Yugi."  
  
Yugi hung up and went up to Seto and Joey's bedroom door. Putting his ear to it he didn't hear anything so he knocked and entered when Seto answered. A blush covered his face as he saw Joey snuggled up lovingly against Seto's chest, the covers the only thing hiding their nude forms.  
  
"S-sorry to disturb you," he stuttered, "but Kiore just called. Yami's been out of it lately and she thought that seeing his closest friends from school would help. She would like it if we went over there tomorrow and just hang out with him for the day."  
  
"Nothing to worry about, Yugi. We'd love to go."  
  
Yugi smiled and nodded before closing the door behind him. He couldn't help but feel a flutter of happiness at being able to see Yami again. 'He'll be so happy to see me again.' Yugi looked down at the floor thinking about everything they could do and his eyes wandered to what he was wearing, his eyes widening. 'What am I going to where?'  
  
He skidded into his room and started throwing things out of his bags, trying to find something to where when he suddenly stopped and looked at himself in the closet mirror.  
  
"Why do I care if Yami likes what I'm wearing?" He rubbed his temples and groaned as he felt a headache creeping up on him. He crawled over to his bed and lay down. "I'll figure it out later after I wake up."  
  
~~  
  
Yugi awoke sleepily as he felt himself being shaken. "Joey? What's wrong?" He mumbled as he saw blonde hair through his blurry vision.  
  
"It's time to get up. We're going to Yami's today, remember?"  
  
Yugi shot fully awake and looked at the clock beside his bed. "I wasn't supposed to sleep that long!" He shouted worriedly. He jumped from the bed and started rummaging around his bag and his clothes on the floor again.  
  
"Yugi, are you okay?"  
  
"I don't know what to wear." Yugi told him as held a shirt to his form before throwing it behind him; it landed on Seto's head.  
  
"What's going on?" He asked.  
  
"Yugi doesn't know what to wear."  
  
"Why would you care?"  
  
"I don't know, but I just know I have to. I want to look nice for him." He explained as he held up a pair of black pants before throwing them aside.  
  
Joey and Seto looked at each other for a minute before kneeling down beside their friend and pausing him from further searching.  
  
"Yugi, are you feeling anything for Yami?" Seto asked him.  
  
Yugi started for a minute and squeaked in embarrassment. "I-is it that obvious?"  
  
The couple nodded.  
  
Amethyst eyes fell to the floor and Yugi nodded, telling Seto and Joey what he had told Kiore on the phone when she asked him the same thing.  
  
"That's great news, Yugi. You might be getting your memories back soon." Joey excitedly told him.  
  
Yugi nodded. "I know, Kiore and Yami both seem to think so."  
  
"When did you see Yami?" Seto questioned.  
  
"At the hospital yesterday. Keith was arrested and I saw it on T.V. saying he attacked Kiore and Yami and Yami ended up in the hospital for a few hours."  
  
Seto and Joey looked surprised at this bit of news, but one glance at the clock by Seto and he hurried Yugi to get ready. Just looking at his lost expression though it was clear he was still stressing over what to wear. Him and Joey helped him throw clothes around the bedroom until Seto found something that would look good.  
  
Minutes later Yugi stood in front of his mirror wearing his black, sleeveless shirt and dark blue jeans.  
  
"Are you sure he'll like this?" He asked with notes of worry obvious in his voice.  
  
Joey let out a breath of exasperation and started dragging his friend towards the door. "Don't worry about it, Yugi. He'll love you no matter what you wear."  
  
~~  
  
The three arrived shortly after the rest of their friends did. After saying 'hellos' and other greetings they finally decided to ring the doorbell.  
  
~~  
  
Kiore hid her glee of happiness when she heard the doorbell. "Yami, dear, could you get that? I've got my hands full with other things at the moment!" She lied.  
  
"Sure, mother." Yami replied dully. He opened the door and was showered with surprise at seeing his friends all standing there smiling excitedly at him.  
  
"Surprise, Yami!" They all shouted.  
  
"I-I don't get it. What's going on?" He asked, not knowing what else to do.  
  
"Well, we thought about it and decided that we haven't seen each other in such a long time that we wanted to get together." Seto explained coolly.  
  
At seeing Seto and Joey there Yami eagerly searched the small crowd until his eyes landed on innocent looking amethysts.  
  
"Hey, Yami." Yugi squeaked, embarrassed at the immediate attention.  
  
Yami looked him up and down and couldn't hide the small smile that lifted his cheeks and his eyes seemingly sparkle with joy. "Yugi, you look great."  
  
"He should, he spent." Joey started only to be interrupted by Seto covering his mouth with his hand and shaking his head negatively.  
  
"What was that, Joey?" Yami asked with confusion.  
  
"It was nothing." Seto answered instead. "You know Joey, blurts out when he doesn't mean to; just ignore him."  
  
Yami nodded, a little unsure, and gestured for everybody to come in.  
  
Seto glanced at Yugi and saw him hanging back a little bit, but it was noticeable where his gaze was landed. Biting his lip, an idea came to him.  
  
"We'll be right back, Yami. We've got another surprise for you." Everybody looked at Seto like he was crazy. "Remember, that surprise we all talked about before? Yugi, you said you'd keep him busy."  
  
"I did?" He squeaked once more. At seeing Seto's eyes motion to Yami and a slight nod only he could see. A small blush appeared on his face, but he nodded. "That's right, I did." He turned to Yami. "Come on, Yami. Let's go to the library while they get you're surprise ready."  
  
After the two had disappeared behind the library door everybody turned to Seto with questioning looks.  
  
"What was with the sudden turn in events, Kaiba?" Bakura asked with suspicion.  
  
"I have a feeling that Yugi's memories are catching up with him about Yami. He told us this morning that he did have feelings, but he didn't understand where he suddenly got them. Maybe if Yugi spent more time with Yami then it might just help."  
  
Everybody looked at Seto in shock before large smiles spread over their faces.  
  
"So what are we going to do for a surprise for Yami while Yugi's keeping him busy?" Ryou questioned.  
  
"I was hoping that the surprise would be that Yugi would remember Yami, but if that doesn't work then I was thinking we could take him to see that movie I know he's been wanting to see. It's not as good as Yugi getting his memories of him back, but it'll do."  
  
~~  
  
Yugi and Yami sat down on the couch in the library and stayed their in silence for a while before Yami finally broke the silence.  
  
"Yugi, I'm sorry if I've been making you feel guilty about losing your memories."  
  
The younger looked at the crimson eyes teen in surprise. "You don't have to apologize. It wasn't anybody's fault but Keith's."  
  
Yami started and he felt his mouth gape open. "Keith, how did.how do you figure that?"  
  
"I remembered a short while ago. I suppose when I saw him on T.V. the other day before I came to visit you in the hospital. I just didn't say anything since I was so worried about you. I know he raped me and that's how I lost my memories." He looked down at the floor, ashamed.  
  
"Is that all you remember?" Yami pressed on eagerly.  
  
"Not really, the rest is still pretty fuzzy. I do remember somebody calling out my name just before I fell unconscious; I don't know who though."  
  
A burst of happiness went through Yami and he couldn't resist pulling Yugi into an excited hug. "I'm so proud of you, Yugi."  
  
"There's one more thing." Yugi whispered, almost too shy to keep going, but still knowing he had to tell you Yami.  
  
Yami pulled away and looked at Yugi expectantly.  
  
"I haven't told Joey or Seto about this, you're the only one, but I've been thinking about moving back in with you. If you want me to that is." He added the last part in a hurry.  
  
"Oh, Yugi, of course. I'd love it if you came back.but why? Aren't you still uncomfortable about."  
  
Yugi quickly shook his head. "I don't feel uncomfortable about it anymore because I - I've been having feelings for you and I don't know where they're coming from right now, but I know they're for you. Seto and Joey, even your mother, said that it was mostly possible my memories returning.and if that's true then I do want to be with you."  
  
"You mean that you're feeling emotions towards me?" Yami asked almost unbelievingly.  
  
Yugi nodded, a small blush coming over his pale cheeks. Before he realized what was happening though he was pulled a tight hug and felt Yami nuzzling into his neck lovingly. He couldn't help but feel that it was the perfect feeling being in Yami's arms again.  
  
~~  
  
Kiore walked into the room curiously when she couldn't hear much talking and was surprised that her son and Yugi were missing.  
  
Malik saw the look and answered before she could ask. "They're in the library. Seto thinks that Yugi might get his memories of Yami back faster if he spent some time alone with him. They've actually been in there for quite a while."  
  
Kiore smiled and nodded, moving her gaze to the closed library door. "I've made lunch. I should go tell them."  
  
At the mention of food Joey grabbed his boyfriend's arm and dragged him towards the dining room to eat, Seto rolled his eyes at the blonde's antics.  
  
~~  
  
"Yugi?" Yami mumbled into Yugi's neck as he continued to hold the younger to him. "Would you mind if I kissed you?"  
  
Yugi gasped and pulled away slightly to look Yami in the eye. "Yami, I."  
  
"Not a big kiss, just a small one, please?"  
  
Yugi smiled slightly and nodded. "Just a small one." He confirmed.  
  
Yami smiled back and leant forward, pressing his lips lightly against Yugi's and savored the sweet taste he'd missed for so long.  
  
~~  
  
Kiore smiled as she saw her son pull away from Yugi slowly, the love evident for the younger in his eyes. She waited a short while in case they were going to say anything else to each before making her presence known.  
  
When she did step over to them Yugi snuggled himself into Yami's arms with Yami's head resting atop the other's; both their eyes were closed in contentment.  
  
"Yami, Yugi?"  
  
Yami looked up to her, a small smile raising his cheeks slightly. Yugi only opened his eyes to show he was listening.  
  
"Lunch is ready if you're hungry."  
  
"We'll be there in a minute, mother."  
  
Kiore smiled and nodded, leaving the two to be alone again. 


	9. Painful Memories

God people I'm sooooo sorry that took so long!!! I hope it NEVER takes that long to update again; you must all hate me for taking forever to get it posted. Everything possible under the sun has been happening at my school and I've had these tests and I need to pass them. And then I got asked to my homecoming dance by this super cute guy that I like so I've been bouncing off the walls about that since my love life has been completely down in the dumps. Some people couldn't even believe I haven't had my first kiss yet and here I've got all these couples around me and it's been driving me up the wall having to watch it!! Grrr, but now it's not so bad and I finally got time to finish this chapter. I even got as so desperate as to get ahead in my math class so I wouldn't have homework in it so then I'd have a free lunch where I usually do it just so I could use the computer's in my English class and start writing it at school whenever I could. It's been really hectic and all, but I hope you enjoy this chapter.  
  
~~  
  
It took only a short while to move Yugi's things back to Yami's place. He agreed with Yami that he was going to sleep in their room, but still in a separate bed since he still felt shy and even somewhat embarrassed about it.  
  
One morning a few days later, Yami woke up early like he started to have himself do so he could wake up and watch Yugi sleep. He loved how he looked when the young one slept and his face always looked in so much contentment.  
  
Yugi then stirred and groaned Keith's name slightly, his head started thrashing back and faith.  
  
Yami growled and threw his covers away from him. He knelt down beside Yugi's bed and leant forward slightly to place his lips on Yugi's.  
  
Amethyst eyes shot open and Yugi sat up quickly, his fingers lifting to feel where Yami had given him the slightest touch. He looked down at Yami, confusion flitting across his face for a second. "Yami?"  
  
Concern fled across ruby-red eyes. "Yugi, what's wrong?" He asked as he sat down on the edge of his bed.  
  
Yugi's face suddenly brightened and he threw himself off his bed and into Yami's arms, causing the older of the two to fall back from the force. "It's a dream, Yami! The best dream anybody could ever hope for." He said excitedly into Yami's shirt, continuing to hide it there for some reason. "I remember everything about you, Yami! I remember everything I ever lost in my memories!"  
  
Disbelief covered Yami's demeanor before his arms came up and held Yugi tightly to him. "Oh, Yugi." He whispered, afraid to talk louder as if the mood would suddenly break and somebody would jump out from the large closest adjacent to them and yell 'Gotcha!' He wasn't sure he could think of anything else to say though either; who could reply to something as wonderful as that?  
  
"Yami," Yugi suddenly asked, lifting his head up at last to look his lover in the eyes, "can I ask you a favor?"  
  
"Anything, love."  
  
"Would you kiss me again?" A slight blush covered Yugi's cheeks.  
  
"Like the library?" Yami asked, confused.  
  
Yugi quickly shook his head with a darker red covering his previous blush. "No, Yami. Like this." He leaned up and pressed his lips tightly against Yami's, wrapping his arms around the older's neck and shifting slightly so he was then straddling Yami's lap.  
  
It was only a short while before Yami pressed forward eagerly and swiped his tongue across Yugi's bottom lip. Yugi moaned and happily opened his mouth to let the impatient hot muscle explore his mouth.  
  
Thoughts of what everyone else would say and do when they found out about his sudden exciting recovery of his memories passed through Yugi's mind. He found he was too excited to wait and see their reaction and pulled away from Yami's easily missed touch.  
  
Yami's hands, hidden underneath his pajama top, stopped moving and Yugi wondered briefly when they moved there in the first place. "Yugi?" Yami said through clenched teeth, obviously holding back from ravishing his boyfriend.  
  
The younger teen felt bad and extremely guilty for Yami and he even knew how he felt, but he did want to see everyone so they would know before things became even more intimate than they seemed to have already gotten before he pulled away. "I want everyone to know, Yami. We can come back up here as soon as I've told you're mother and called Joey and everybody else. Please?" He begged slightly, using his well-used puppy dog eyes.  
  
Yami smiled and nodded; he understood how Yugi felt about wanting everybody to know.  
  
The couple got dressed before making their way down the stairs to find Kiore.  
  
They found her in the library reading a romance novel like she usually did, a worried expression across her face.  
  
"Mother, is everything all right?" Yami asked her, concerned if the look was for the book or for something else on her mind.  
  
Kiore looked up from her book and smiled sadly at the two. "I just got off the phone with Mr. Johnson." She explained to them.  
  
"Your lawyer? Why?"  
  
"He found out about Keith's trial and called me to tell me about it. It's going to be next month on the eighteenth." She turned to Yugi directly. "He wants you to go on stand to testify against him for what he did to you. He knows you don't remember, but he still wants you to try."  
  
Yami turned to Yugi and got worried over what would happen if he relived everything to soon. He feared what would happen and tried to jump in before Yugi said what he knew he was going to tell his mother. Unfortunately, he was a second too late.  
  
"Kiore, I remember everything now. I realized it when I woke up a short while ago. I'll go up and testify if they all want me to."  
  
"But, Yugi." Yami started to protest. Yugi just gave him a look that said 'you can't protect me forever' and the crimson-eyed teen knew it was very true. Reluctantly, he nodded and looked back to his mother.  
  
"You remember everything?" Kiore asked in amazement.  
  
Yugi smiled at her and nodded.  
  
"Oh, Yugi, that's wonderful!" She nearly squealed and jumped up to hug Yugi tightly. Pulling away only after she gave the short teen a quick kiss on the cheek.  
  
After finally escaping Yami's mother in the library the couple stopped in the hall to phone their friends to tell them the good news, and then made their way upstairs again. Yugi flopped onto his bed and sighed. Yami sat down on his own bed and looked at Yami curiously.  
  
"Yugi, are you going to keep sleeping in that bed or are you going to share mine again?" He asked with a hint of worry in his voice.  
  
Yugi chuckled slightly under his breath. "I've only just realized how lonely I am without you sleeping beside me, Yami. What do you think I'm going to do?"  
  
A large smile replaced Yami's frown and he decided to just watch his lover for a short while. "Didn't you say we were going to continue what we started after you told everybody?"  
  
"I'm not in the mood anymore, Yami. I'm sorry." Yugi opened violet eyes and looked at his boyfriend sadly. "Forgive me?"  
  
"That's okay, Yugi; I understand." Yami told him. 'Maybe later then; I can't wait to show him how much I love him and missed him over the past few months.' When Yami focused back on Yugi again he noticed his younger lover had fallen asleep. He smiled and went over the short distance to him. Yami kissed his cheek lightly and then covered him in one of the blankets.  
  
~~  
  
A few hours later Kiore knocked on the door and smiled at the slumbering Yugi.  
  
"Yes, mother?" Yami asked as he turned his eyes to her.  
  
"I called Mr. Johnson a little while ago to let him know Yugi remembered everything. He's on his way right now to ask him a few questions and he should be here in a little while."  
  
Yami still didn't like the idea of Yugi already reliving everything he just remembered, but he understood why Yugi felt the need to do so. He nodded to his mother. "Alright, I'll wake him in a minute."  
  
Kiore smiled and turned, closing the door behind her as she left.  
  
Yami sighed when she did and punched his pillow. 'Why does everything have to happen to Yugi? First that stupid bet, and then his grandfather dying, then the whole thing with Keith, and now he has to face him again only after just remembering everything; it's not fair what they're doing to him!'  
  
He looked at the clock and decided he'd better wake Yugi up if he was going to freshen up a little bit before Mr. Johnson got there. He stood from his bed and knelt beside Yugi's. "Yugi," he called softly, not really wanting to wake his lover. "Koibito, you need to get up now."  
  
Yugi groaned but opened his eyes anyway and smiled softly when he saw Yami. "What's wrong, Yami?" He asked, his voice filled with sleep.  
  
"My mother's lawyer is coming over to ask you a few things for the trial next month."  
  
A frown covered Yugi's face and he sat up on the bed. "Why today?" He questioned with a hint of fear.  
  
Yami shook his head. "I don't know why. Come on, I thought you'd like to freshen up a little bit before he got here."  
  
Yugi nodded and stood to go to the bathroom.  
  
~~  
  
The couple made it downstairs just as the doorbell rang and Kiore answered; a man who looked to be in his mid-forties stepped in and greeted Yami's mother. He had graying brown hair and light blue eyes. Glancing up the stairs he smiled at Yami and waved.  
  
"Hey, Yami. Enjoying your vacation from education?"  
  
"It's okay. I'll be going to college soon though as soon as fall comes around. Yugi will be too." He gestured behind him where Yugi was peeking out from behind him.  
  
"Ah yes, Yugi. Congratulations on your returned memories; you must be excited."  
  
"More so, some things I tend to want to leave forgotten, but I didn't have the fortune of having it." He replied politely, curling up to Yami's backside even further.  
  
Yami frowned as he noticed Yugi's usual way of showing he was uncomfortable something. He'd grown that habit in his junior year when some of the students were still infuriated at him for 'stealing' Yami from them.  
  
It seemed that somehow Mr. Johnson had noticed Yugi was tense with him there and he smiled further. "Come on then, Yugi. We'll go in the library and have a little chat. We'll be done before you know it."  
  
Yugi nodded slowly and hesitantly stepped out from behind Yami, taking his hand.  
  
"If you wouldn't mind, Yugi, I'd like to be just the two of us."  
  
Yami could see the fear pass by his little lover's eyes and his heart went even further out to him. He realized though that the longer Yugi didn't move the longer Mr. Johnson was going to be there. "Go on, Yugi." He urged comfortingly. "I'll be right outside when you're done. It'll go by really fast, you'll see. Besides, the faster you go in, the sooner you'll get done."  
  
Yugi glanced at him, but nodded anyway. He let go of Yami's hand and walked slowly down the stairs, following as Mr. Johnson led him into the library.  
  
~~  
  
"Well, Yugi, how are you feeling today?" Mr. Johnson asked once they sat down.  
  
Yugi just nodded his head and secretly wished that he wouldn't use small talk and get down to the real questions. Like Yami said, the faster he came in here and answered Mr. Johnson's questions, the sooner he'd get to be with Yami.  
  
"That's good." Mr. Johnson continued, not fazed by the obvious fact that Yugi was completely uncomfortable sitting alone with him; for more reasons than one at that. He took out a notepad and a pen and readied himself to write down Yugi's answers for his questions. "Okay then, Yugi. How long had you known Keith to be a rapist?"  
  
Yugi shivered, but took a deep breath and replied with, "Since the beginning of my junior year in high school when Yami told me himself."  
  
The man nodded and wrote down what he said. "When did you first meet him?"  
  
"When I came here the beginning of this summer."  
  
"What did he act like? Normal? Or was he real obvious?"  
  
"He seemed really nice, but Yami kept telling me to watch his eyes and I'd know it was all an act to get to me. His eyes always showed what he wanted and they always looked really lustful to me." Yugi wrapped his arms around his himself, fully expecting his most feared question of all to be asked pretty soon if not next. He would absolutely hate answering that question, but he knew it would have to be done.  
  
"Can you describe what happened that day when he finally got to you, Yugi?"  
  
All the blood rushed out of Yugi's face as the question he was just thinking about was asked. It was bad enough he remembered those memories, but to tell what happened in detail would be the death of him. He willed back his tears and started spilling out the details of the day he wished he rather would've never remembered.  
  
~~  
  
A little while later Mr. Johnson stepped out of the library with a frown on his face, pocketing the notepad he'd written in as he did. He turned to Yami with a frown and concern dripping in his eyes.  
  
"I'm afraid we should've waited a little longer. He seems quite shaken up and very near on the verge of tears with some of those questions. I apologize if I said something I really shouldn't have. Could you tell him that for me? He seems to be out of it and not really responding anymore to me."  
  
Yami's crimson eyes widened and he nodded hastily, glancing at the partially open library door. "Of course, Mr. Johnson. My mother's in the kitchen if you wanted to speak with her anymore."  
  
"No, I really should be going. Don't mind showing me out though; go check on Yugi."  
  
Yami nodded and watched as his mother's lawyer let himself out. He turned back to the door and froze as he saw Yugi walking shakily out of it, his face pale and his eyes glazed over with unshed tears. He moved forward and cautiously wrapped his arms around his lover. "Yugi? Koi?"  
  
With that the younger teen burst into tears and held onto Yami as if he were a lifeline. "I want it to go away, Yami!" He cried into his black shirt. "Why did I have to remember everything?"  
  
Yami soothed Yugi's back lovingly and whispered little nothings into his ear as he slowly lowered the both of them to the floor. "I know, little love, I know. Just take a deep breath and try to relax; everything's going to be okay."  
  
Kiore walked out of the kitchen and a concerned frown came over her face when she saw the two boys sitting on the floor. She looked to her son questioningly and he only shook his head to show now wasn't the time to ask. She nodded and went back into the kitchen thinking that both boys might like a cup of hot chocolate to help.  
  
Yami started to rock back and forth on the floor until finally Yugi's sobs turned to only hiccups and his grip loosened considerably. "Little love, what did he ask that's got you so worked up?"  
  
After a minute, when the ruby-eyed teen started to believe Yugi had fallen asleep, a mumbled, almost inaudible answer reached his ears. "He asked for details the day Keith raped me. I didn't think it would be so bad and I knew he was going to ask me. Then he asked what I felt when I'd lost my memories and if I even recognized Keith or knew something as bad as what did happened happen." Yugi snuggled his face further into Yami's chest, trying to crawl into the older's lap as he continued to seek the warmth and comfort he needed. "I don't want to tell it again, Yami." He cried, tears pricking in his eyes again and he let them fall slowly and silently down his reddened cheeks. "He said I would probably have to tell it again at the trial."  
  
Yami tightened his grip around Yugi and nearly jumped out of his skin when he heard two soft clinks beside him. He looked down on the floor and saw two steaming mugs of cocoa for him and Yugi. Looking up he smiled and nodded his thanks to his mother. He picked one up and urged Yugi to sit up and take a sip, promising it would help him calm down further. He took up the other and also started to sip his, loving how the chocolate slid down his throat and warmed his insides.  
  
"Thank you, Yami." Yugi whispered after he swallowed the hot liquid. He knew he needed Yami's love now more then ever. He didn't know why, but he knew that he needed the reassurance that Yami would never leave him no matter what. 


	10. Our Day Alone

Yami sat and watched his little lover as they continued to take sips from their steaming mugs. All the while he was thinking of how to make it easier for Yugi to tell that retched story again in front of a big group of people.

Yugi put his now empty mug on the floor and looked up at Yami, his eyes red from all the tears he'd shed. "Yami," he asked, his voice a whisper.

The crimson-eyed teen looked up and smiled at his other. "Yes, Yugi?"

"I-I…" He couldn't understand how it was so hard to ask such a simple question he'd asked a million times before. This time it seemed more serious though; maybe because it was. All the other times were just for fun and desire, this time he needed Yami to comfort him and show that he still loved Yugi even after what happened even though he already knew Yami wouldn't leave him if he hasn't already.

"Are you okay, little one?" Yami asked softly after Yugi had been quiet for some time.

The amethyst-eyed boy nodded and decided that if, for some reason, he couldn't say what he wanted – no – needed, then he was going to show it. He crawled the short distance to Yami and climbed into his lap, straddling him. He listed his face and wrapped his arms around Yami's neck, closing the rest of the distance between them and giving him a desperate kiss.

To say Yami was surprised at what Yugi was asking after the kind of state he was just in would be an understatement. He thought Yugi would just like to be comforted and held a night like he used to at school before they had made love for the first time, but this kiss was asking more; it was desperate almost and needy in a way.

After Yugi pulled away he hid his face in Yami's tear-stained shirt and rubbed against it lightly. Yami wrapped his arms around his small frame and held him close, lovingly.

"Yugi, I –"

"Please, Yami? I need you; I need to know that-"

"It's okay, Yugi," Yami interrupted this time. "I understand what you need. Wrap your legs around me and hold on tight; I'll carry you upstairs."

Somehow, almost as if she knew what was going to happen, Kiore walked out from the kitchen and picked up the two mugs sitting on the floor just as Yami was standing up with Yugi holding onto him. He she gave a small, comforting smile to them before turning around and making her way back into the kitchen.

Yami smiled briefly after her before head up the stairs. Upon arriving in their room he laid Yugi gently on their bed and crawled slowly on top of him, giving him a passionate, soft kiss. After pulling away he gave Yugi a sweet smile before turning his attention to the pale skin of Yugi's neck, nipping and sucking at just the right places to make Yugi moan and squirm.

Yugi relaxed against the bed, enjoying his ruby-eyed lover's intimate touches on his skin. This was the empty feeling he's been noticing for all those months. The fleeting thought of his time away from Yami and his once lost memories sent a chill up and down his spine. He quickly wrapped his arms around Yami's neck and held onto him tightly. He recited his silent mantra in his head over and over again that Yami was real again and wouldn't leave him alone.

The smaller of the two suddenly gasped as cold air suddenly washed over his chest and one of his nipples were brought into Yami's warm cavern. His grip on Yami tightened some before loosening just slightly; his hands wandered into Yami's soft, spiky, tri-colored hair and tugged gently every so often. He let out an appreciated moan as he felt Yami's wet tongue slide around sensitized pink nub.

Yami's swift hands unbuttoned Yugi's jeans and slid them down slowly so as to not give to much friction to his small lover's erection; the only one giving pleasure to his sweet koibito would be him and nothing else.

After tossing the offending pants on the floor he untangled Yugi's hands from his hair and moved downward, continuing to use his mouth to make love to the skin he passed. He spread Yugi's legs apart before attaching his mouth to Yugi's most sensitive piece of delicious flesh.

Yugi let out a loud moan when he failed terribly when trying to stop himself from bucking into Yami's hot cavern. Yami didn't seem to mind though, he didn't even bring his hands to his hips to hold him back; just groaned around his mouthful and sent wonderful vibrations through Yugi's being.

With Yugi being able to carry on like he was and Yami continuing to moan and swallow periodically around his length, it didn't take much longer until Yugi cried out Yami's name with release inside Yami's mouth.

Yami swallowed everything his delicious koi had to offer before appreciating in cleaning up everything he had missed before, licking ever drop up with his tongue. Once finished, he looked up to his now sleepy-eyed koibito and smiled lovingly. "Sleep for now, Yugi. It's been a while."

Yugi smiled back and nodded before quickly falling asleep tiredly.

Yugi awoke a few hours later to a wonderful sensation of a rain of kisses being placed ever so gently and lovingly on his chest and belly. He squirmed slightly when the kisser's hands lightly moved over his thigh and caused him to giggle. "Yami tickles." He said with a voice thick with sleep.

"Sorry, love. Did I wake you?"

"No." Yugi yawned and opened his eyes, rubbing them slightly to get the sleep out. "W'time is it?" He yawned again.

There was a pause before Yami answered him. "A little after two."

Yugi looked out the window and watched as a squirrel raced up the tree and jumped into a hole with an acorn held tightly in its mouth. He smiled and turned back to Yami. "I'm hungry."

"That's not surprising. We skipped breakfast, we slept through lunch, and you only had hot chocolate the whole time plus our little fun."

Yugi moaned and turned to face Yami, hiding his face in his lover's neck. In his movement though he felt a half-hard erection against his bare thigh and he gasped. "Yami?"

"Yes, love?" The ruby-eyed teen asked, slightly breathing harder as his aching hard-on was rubbed against.

"Have – have you had that the whole time I've been asleep."

Yami nodded.

"Oh, Yami, I'm so sorry. You didn't have to let me sleep; at least helped you get rid of it before I slept. That must've been so painful." Yugi looked horrified at the thought of Yami having to lay there the whole time with an erection slowly going down.

"Don't worry about it, love. I told you earlier that we weren't finished and I hold true to my word."

"Yami?" Yugi asked cautiously as Yami started to lean in towards him.

"Hmm?" Yami asked just before he placed his lips over Yugi's and rolled over so he was directly on top.

Yugi felt Yami smile into the kiss and he started adding pressure back after a while. He wrapped his arms around Yami's neck, as did his legs around his waist.

He loved how Yami would always carry these things out to make it pleasurable for him. After all, he'd heard what kind of things Yami did with people at school before the bet occurred. He was so rough with people and usually easy to tell who he'd been with the next day because the person usually stayed in their dorm for the day or was around and limped the whole time. It made him feel all the more lucky to have somebody like Yami care for him so much to last it out as long as he did.

Yugi gasped as he felt Yami's regrowing erection against his belly and, after the initial shock of actually feeling it hard against him because of him, he threw his hips up and felt himself smirking as he felt Yami freeze into the kiss and groan instead and he laid his lower half against Yugi and start rolling his hips to gain friction.

The younger of the two could hardly suppress his excitement for being with his lover again.

Yami awoke first the next morning and watched his little lover sleep peacefully next to him. Glancing down at the sheets to see the mess they made he was a little concerned about the small drops of blood he noticed. 'I hope I didn't hurt him last night.'

His attention turned to Yugi's face when the smaller teen's fingers started trailing up and down his arm. "Good morning, Yami." Yugi smiled, his voice lightly laced with sleep.

"Morning, Yugi." Yami nodded. "I didn't hurt you last night, did I?"

Yugi's smile changed to a small frown and he slowly shook his head. "Why do you ask that, Yami? You know you're always so gentle with me."

"I know, but…" He trailed off a motioned with his hand towards the drops of blood adorning the sheets.

"Oh, well, no you didn't hurt me. It was a bit tight though, like you said when you…" Yugi blushed, "entered me."

"That's only because we didn't do anything for a few months. I already knew you would be a tight fit." Yami smirked at Yugi's obvious embarrassment for having to talk about it, even after the things they've been through. "Come on," he stood up and held out his hand to Yugi who took it and pulled himself up, "we'll go get a warm bath together and then head down for something to eat. You go get the water running and I'll put these sheets in the washer."

Yugi nodded and bent down to pick up his discarded boxer's from last night, pulling them on before he left the room.

Yami watched him go before turning to the dirtied bed sheets. He gathered them together before heading downstairs for the basement.

When he returned upstairs he saw Yugi waiting for him outside the bathroom door. Yugi smiled at him and held out his hand, which Yami took and let himself be led passed the door and he closed it behind him.

He was a little surprised when Yugi started to undress him and he helped him whenever he could. Yugi then stepped out of his boxers and into the warm water, sliding to the other side so Yami could get in.

They weren't sure how long they were in the tub, but it must've been a while because they finally did decide to dry off both were becoming severely wrinkled. Each helped to dry the other off and they wrapped towels around their waists before going back to their room.

Yugi dressed in his dark blue jeans and a loose white shirt while Yami wore his tight blacks pants and a denim shirt with the sleeves having been ripped off.

Yami wrapped his arms around Yugi's waist and gave him a gentle kiss on the cheek. "Come on, love. Let's go get something to eat now."

Yugi nodded and let himself be half-pulled from the bedroom.

Okay people I really am sorry it's been taking me so long to update but school's being a bitch and this chapter really didn't want to work with me.


	11. Counting Down the Days

It was a week later when Mr. Johnson called to tell the three when the trial would occur: exactly a week from that day.  
  
Yugi was shivering immediately at having to be reminded of those horrid memories, Yami was trying his best to comfort his boyfriend, and Kiore was worried about both boys. She knew how protective Yami was of Yugi after everything that happened to the poor boy and knew he would do anything he could to keep Yugi from getting hurt again. She could only imagine what he would do in that courtroom, or worse what he would do to Keith. She didn't want to be taken wrong though. If she had her way then she would gladly lock Yami and Keith in a room together after reminding Yami what Keith had done to him. And usually she wouldn't wish that wrath on anybody.  
  
Another thing Kiore had noticed was that Yugi ate less every since the phone call from Mr. Johnson told them the date they had to be at court. She knew he was scared about the trial and it didn't pass her either that the less Yugi ate the less Yami would also. She remembered well enough what Yami had told her what Yugi had done to himself in his sophomore year in high school. She only could pray that he wasn't doing something like that again; Yami would be crushed. But then she saw something that made it seem like it could never rain again. When she opened the fridge one day, five days before the trial started, and found that the leftovers from the night before were missing and an empty bowl was in the sink that held it. She knew well enough that Yami couldn't eat all that was left on his own so it just made her happier and safer knowing Yugi was eating, even if it happened to be sometime in the middle of the night.  
  
~~  
  
Yami found Yugi sitting outside the next morning; it was five days before the trial. "Yugi, are you okay? I was worried about you when I woke up and you weren't there." He explained, his voice thick with concern.  
  
Yugi didn't say anything, only nodded and motioned for Yami to have a seat if he wanted. "Yami, I just realized something last night; just before I went to sleep I did."  
  
"What is it, Yugi?"  
  
"I haven't remembered everything I lost in my memories."  
  
If Yami was expecting to hear anything, it definitely wasn't that. It'd been weeks since the mention of Yugi's memory loss was last said aloud and Yami assumed that Yugi wanted it put behind him. "What did you remember?"  
  
"I didn't remember exactly, just realized. It's the small thing, but it doesn't seem small at all; more like really big."  
  
Yami was confused now and sat down beside Yugi, pulling him into his lap since the younger started to shiver. "I don't understand."  
  
"It's hard to explain, Yami. There's this small knot in the back of my mind that's telling me I've forgotten something important and I haven't paid attention, realized it until just last night when you told me you loved me. Did you know, Yami, that last night was the first time you said you loved me since I regained my memories?"  
  
Yami thought it over for a second before he realized that Yugi was right. "You realized the knot when I said I loved you?"  
  
Yugi nodded slowly. "Yeah, it's just a knot though, but I know it's important. Yami, I have no idea what it could be and it's a little scary to know that I remembered everything that one time when I woke up except this one thing. How could that have happened?"  
  
Yami could only shake his head and hold Yugi closer. It was only after a particularly large shiver from Yugi that Yami suggested they should go back inside and sit in front of the fire for a while to warm up. Yugi reluctantly agreed and followed hand-in-hand with Yami back to the house.  
  
~~  
  
Yami walked down the stairs sleepily the neck morning and into the kitchen, a little surprised to see his mother already awake and making breakfast. "Mother," Yami started, deciding to tell her what Yugi had told him the day before.  
  
"Yes, sweetie?" Kiore asked, looking up from the stove where the pancake batter was slightly bubbling.  
  
"Yugi told me something yesterday and it's kind of bugging him."  
  
Kiore nodded for him to continue.  
  
"He told me that just before he fell asleep a few nights ago, right after I said I loved him for the first time since he regained his memories, that this knot in the bag of his mind started making itself noticeable. He said that he hadn't remembered everything like he thought and it's just that one thing he hasn't remembered; that he's slightly scared he remembered everything that one morning he woke up except for that one thing and that it seems really remembered. After we returned to my room he a little while later he started going through his things and completely ignored talking to me except for when I said things to him, then he'd go back to looking."  
  
Kiore nodded and turned back to the stove to flip the pancake. "I don't know what to say, honey. These things are very delicate and there are even, in some cases, where people usually don't remember anything at all and they have to start their lives over. Let's just be grateful for right now that Yugi has remembered most of it and if it's just one thing I'm sure it can't be that much of a worry."  
  
Yami sat down on one of the stools at the counter and sighed. "I know, and I am very grateful, relieved, I don't know what I'd do without him, but it's just really bothering him. I told him the same thing actually after he finally stopped looking around and sat on his bad, but he told me that he had to remember or he'd regret it."  
  
Kiore turned back to Yami with a concerned look. After placing the pancake on the plate where others were sitting she turned off the stove and joined Yami at the counter. "What's that supposed to mean?"  
  
"I don't know. I asked him the same thing, but he said that that was part of why he couldn't remember. He said that this knot was something really important and a big part of his life and that he never fulfilled whatever it is that he'd regret it for the rest of his life. The problem is: he doesn't know what to do since it's that one knot he can't remember."  
  
Kiore's face scrunched up, but before she could reply Yugi stepped in with a giggling Shiro in his arms. She smiled at him and walked over to say good morning to her daughter.  
  
"She was awake as I was walking to the stairs. I hope you don't mind I took her out." Yugi told her as Kiore relieved him of the weight in his arms.  
  
"Not at all; I was just about to see if she was awake myself. Thank you, Yugi."  
  
Yugi nodded and smiled at Yami. "You woke up early." He pointed out.  
  
"And you woke up late." Yami rebounded.  
  
Yugi joined him at the counter and laughed whenever Shiro squealed as Kiore tickled her belly. "Would you like me to go set the table, Kiore?" He offered.  
  
"Oh, Yugi, you really don't have to. I can do it."  
  
Yugi jumped up and was already heading for the door. "Don't worry about it, Kiore. I'll be happy to do it. You're busy with breakfast after all."  
  
Yami also stood and excused himself with helping Yugi before disappearing beyond the swinging door.  
  
~~  
  
"Yugi?"  
  
"Mmm?"  
  
"I hope you don't mind, but I told my mother what you said to me yesterday, about the knot."  
  
Yugi looked up, startled that it was brought up so early. He shook his head and went back to placing the plates down. "I don't mind, Yami. I can use all the help I can get."  
  
"Sure?"  
  
Yugi nodded and looked up as soon as he finished with the silverware. "I'm going to be in the library until breakfast is ready. I think I remember seeing some kind of medical book in there and I might give out a few suggestions on how to remember whatever it is that I've forgotten."  
  
Yami nodded and watched Yugi leave. He plopped down in one of the chairs and sighed deeply. He jumped slightly when a plate was put next to him and he looked up into his mother's shining emerald eyes.  
  
"Where's Yugi? Is he going to eat today?"  
  
"Yeah, he just went to the library for a minute. I'll get him."  
  
Yami stood and left the dining room to fetch Yugi. He found him sitting in one of the leather chairs curled up in a tight ball with his head resting on his knees. He was even more surprised to see a good number of books surrounding the chair in such a short time Yugi had been there. "Yugi?"  
  
Yugi looked up startled and a smile was immediately put on his face. "I'll just clean up my mess and I'll be there in a minute."  
  
A concerned look was flashed over Yami's face and he knelt down beside Yugi and stopped him from picking up more books. "Yugi, what's wrong with you? You just looked like the world was coming to an end or something."  
  
"I don't know, Yami; I just don't know." Tears started to leak into Yugi's eyes and Yami pulled him into his arms and onto his lap. "I feel so lost and I don't know what I'll do if I can't remember it. All those books say that have something to do with memory losses before say that most of the people don't remember all of it and none at all; every single one. This memory is important though, Yami. It's important because I know I'll regret it if I don't remember it." Yugi cried out exasperated. He clung to Yami's bare arms tightly and hid his face in his chest.  
  
"I know this is important to you, love, but sometimes the best way to not remember something is to just try forgetting about it for a while."  
  
"Maybe you're right. I'll try to leave it alone and see if anything happens."  
  
The couple stood and made their way back to the dining room.  
  
~~  
  
That night when the couple went to bed Yami noticed that Yugi was begins slightly edgy and asked what was wrong.  
  
"It's nothing much, Yami. It's just the trial; I really don't want to speak at it but I don't have a choice."  
  
Yami pulled Yugi into his arms and placed a soft kiss on his lips and then another gentle one on his cheek before holding Yugi against him and letting his head rest on his head. "Don't worry about it, Yugi. I'll be right there and whenever you need to I'll come up with you, no matter what people say."  
  
Yugi nodded against his chest and held onto Yami arms tightly. "Okay, Yami." He whispered.  
  
~~  
  
In the morning everybody decided quietly not to mention anything about the upcoming trial that was in three days. Kiore even took the liberty to remove all of Keith's pictures from sight that she hadn't removed before with all his single pictures.  
  
Yugi awoke around noon, but Yami wasn't worried since he'd known Yugi had had a rough night at first and couldn't seem to get comfortable. He knew it was going to be that way until the trial was over.  
  
~~  
  
The day before the trial Yugi spent most of the time up in his and Yami's room being held by tightly by Yami. Yami felt terrible that he couldn't do more for Yugi even though the younger reassured him that if anything could make him feel happier and better about the trial then it would definitely being able to spend time in his arms; it only made Yami feel slightly better though.  
  
That night neither boy got much sleep since nightmares of Keith kept coming to Yugi every time his eyes closed to try to get some sleep and Yami held him safely in his embrace. When they finally were able to sleep through for the rest of the night it had been around 2am and even with that little sleep it didn't give them much rest. 


	12. Courthouse

The next morning was a very quiet morning where all three, Kiore, Yami, and Yugi, were edgy and nervous. The ride to the courthouse was quiet as well, except for the occasional baby noises Shiro made.  
  
Upon arriving they were met by Mr. Johnson who led them to the front He told Kiore to sit at the table next to where he would be sitting and then Yami to sit behind her with Yugi right next to him. Before letting Yugi sit down however he pulled him aside.  
  
"Yugi, I know this is going to be hard for you if when I questioned you is any indication to go by. If you wish to leave after you've been questioned there's a room just outside and to the right down the hall that you're welcome to wait in until the session's over."  
  
Yugi nodded. "Thank you, Mr. Johnson. I would like some time to at least clean up since it's pretty much a 90:10 ratio I'll end up crying." He paused for a minute. "Can Yami come with me?"  
  
"Of course. I'll make sure you get questioned after so there won't be any problems with waiting."  
  
Yugi thanked him again and then went to sit down, laying his head on Yami's shoulder and holding his hand nervously.  
  
Not seconds later was Keith pulled in by two officers holding him by the arms and forced to sit down. He was yelling up a storm and cursing at everything in sight. It wasn't long before he spotted the three who were the main cause of his arrest as well (Yugi shivered and moved closer to Yami as he remembered the day he got arrested). "You three are going down." He growled out. "And, Yugi, you will pay for this; just you wait."  
  
A few minutes later a loud voice echoed throughout the courthouse. "all rise for the honorable Judge Perkins."  
  
An aged-looking woman with red hair and gray streaks walk through the back door. "You may sit." She ordered before sitting down. She shuffled through some papers on her desk and looked through them and as she did people waited silently in their seats; surprisingly even Keith was good too ('Must be trying to earn points with the judge,' Yami thought angrily, holding Yugi closer). She then looked up again. "It seems that everything's in order then. Miguel, why don't you start?"  
  
An obtuse, bald-headed man with a sharp black mustache sitting next to Keith stood up. "Your honor, I see no reason why we should even be here today. My client is completely innocent of all his charges and is wrongly accused by who he believed was his family."  
  
"While your opinion is greatly interested, why don't you just call your first witness?" The judge ordered more than suggested.  
  
Miguel only did an unnerving, lopsided smirk and nodded. He turned to the court and said, "I call my first witness then, Bones Gravie."  
  
A small person in the back row stood and walked to the front. He looked dead the way his hair was spiked zombie-like and his face sunken in to nearly inhuman like. He sat in the stand and swore he'd tell the truth when the bailiff asked him.  
  
"Mr. Gravie, do you know my client, Keith Bandit?" Miguel asked, pointing to where Keith sat, smirking over confidently.  
  
Bones gave an unearthly laugh somehow before nodding. "Yeah, we've been buds a long time."  
  
"Does my client strike you as a person who would rape his stepson's boyfriend?"  
  
There was a murmur in the crowd and Yugi pushed him himself still impossibly closer to Yami.  
  
"No, he's always seemed like a caring guy. Me and a few of my friends that also know Keith and used to hang around with him all the time all thought he was a really great guy."  
  
"I see; and why did you stop hanging around my client, Mr. Gravie?"  
  
"Because he got married and became completely devoted to his family. He didn't want us trying to get him drunk like we used to do all the time when he was single."  
  
"Thank you, Mr. Gravie. I think that's about all for right now. Mr. Johnson, I believe he's your witness." He said sickly sweetly.  
  
Mr. Johnson stood up, but didn't move away. "No questions, your honor." He then sat back down.  
  
"Mr. Gravie, you may sit down now." The bailiff told the boy.  
  
Miguel asked a few more people to the stand, the friends that Bones had mentioned, and asked them similar questions to which they all said the same thing.  
  
Kiore leaned over to her lawyer. "David, is this a good thing? They're all just saying this like it's planned."  
  
"I know, Kiore, but I have to wait until it's my turn until I can do anything. If I try to object I'd mostly get overruled or sustained."  
  
"No further witnesses, your honor." Miguel finally told the judge.  
  
"Mr. Johnson, do you have any witnesses?" Judge Perkins asked.  
  
Mr. Johnson stood. "Yes, your honor. I'd like to call Kiore Hitokage to the stand." He announced, using Kiore's first husband's name after a request when the whole ordeal with Keith started.  
  
Kiore stood, carefully passed Shiro back to Yami, and got sworn in before looking at her lawyer once more. She slightly looked behind him to where her son and Yugi were sitting and gave them both a small comfort smile before returning to look at Mr. Johnson.  
  
"Ms. Hitokage, how long have you been married to Keith?"  
  
"For a few months over four years, I think maybe five months or so."  
  
"And in that time did you notice anything strange going on in your house that you were worried about like your son's behavior or anything else?"  
  
"Well, usually Yami, my son, is very polite towards people and is never rude to them, but it surprised me that he was abnormally hateful towards Keith during the summer for his sophomore year, about four years ago, maybe a month over."  
  
"Yes, and did you ever ask him why?"  
  
"No, I like my son to be independent and come to me if he has problems. Although, I did ask him several times to be much nicer and more polite to Keith, but he completely refused every time, which usually led to an argument."  
  
"I see; did you ever find out why he was hateful towards Keith?"  
  
Kiore nodded. "Yes, I did. A short while after Keith was arrested he finally had a chance to tell me after being interrupted so many times."  
  
"And what did he tell you?"  
  
Kiore's throat clenched up, making it hard for her to breathe and unable to talk. Mr. Johnson walked over and held out his hand so she could hold it and he held it in his comfortingly.  
  
"It'll be okay, Kiore. Remember, this is to help." He whispered to her.  
  
Kiore nodded and after a few more seconds she finally took a deep breath and released Mr. Johnson's hand. "He told me that Keith had been raping him since that one summer for his sophomore year when he started to hate him."  
  
"Why didn't he tell you sooner? Was Keith making him from telling somehow?"  
  
"No," Kiore shook her head, "No, he said that he felt ashamed by it and thought that he had to be strong for me and to be that he couldn't tell me."  
  
"Do you know why he decided to tell you then?"  
  
"I believe it has something to do with the 'accident' with Keith and his boyfriend, Yugi."  
  
"And what happened then?"  
  
"Yami told me, after he admitted Keith was raping him, that Keith had been lusting towards Yugi since he first met him when he came to live with us nearly a year ago. Yami had been trying to keep him safe and away from Keith and had even warned Yugi about what Keith was going to do, but eventually, when I was helping a friend to the hospital and Yami was away doing some errands for me with his cousin Keith got a hold of Yugi and raped him too, causing him to lose his memory when he hit his head on the side table."  
  
"Thank you, Kiore." He turned to Miguel, who was glaring at them all with a look to kill for ruining his so-called perfect beginning. "You're witness."  
  
Miguel stood. "No questions."  
  
The judge turned to Kiore, "You may step down," and then to Mr. Johnson, "You may call your next witness."  
  
"Thank you, your honor. I call Yami Hitokage to the stand."  
  
Yami went to the stand after giving Yugi a gentle hug and then got sworn in before turning to look at Mr. Johnson.  
  
"Yami, did you start hating Keith before he raped you or after?"  
  
"I didn't like him all that much, but I was polite to him for my mother's sake. After he raped me though I was scared of him and tried to avoid him as much as possible. I only just started to begin hating him though after he continued to do it."  
  
"And why did you decide to tell your mother about what he did?"  
  
"It was exactly what my mother said. I could handle him doing it to me because I knew I could take care of myself, but Yugi's had so much happen to him in the past that I just snapped when I found out what happened."  
  
"Can you tell us what happened that day and then anything else about Keith?"  
  
"Yes, the day Yugi was raped I realized something didn't seem right for some reason while I was out with Nuka, my cousin, doing errands. We ran the rest of the way home and when I did the first thing I noticed was Shiro, my baby sister," he gestured to his mother where Shiro was sleeping in her arms, "was crying and Yugi was supposed to be taking care of her and I know Yugi wouldn't just leave her alone for no reason like that. I found Keith upstairs and Yugi was on the floor unconscious, both weren't wearing anything, and there was a lot of blood on the bed. That's just about when my mother came home. I covered Yugi in one of the blankets my mother keeps under the bed and went downstairs to tell her what happened. Keith interrupted though and told my mother that Yugi was trying to give Shiro a bath and fell down the stairs." Yami took a minute to catch his breath before he continued. "After that Yugi went to the hospital where we found he'd lost his memory from hitting his head on the side table. Keith started to get careless after that and I had bruises all over my face. That's when I decided to tell my mother what had been going on. Keith made a mockery of it though and I just couldn't control myself. He was lying to my mother and he'd already hurt Yugi badly so I ran at him. He beat me and my mother knew about it then too because she was right there when he did it. That's how I ended up in the hospital. And that's basically it."  
  
"I see. Thank you, Yami. You may step down now."  
  
Yami nodded and walked back over to where Yugi was silently shaking. He looked behind him when he saw the Yugi's eyes weren't looking at him though, but instead at Mr. Johnson. Mr. Johnson also was looking at Yugi with a sad and concerned look in his eyes. Yami quickly sat down next to Yugi and pulled him closely into a comforting hug and gave him a gentle kiss on his forehead; he knew what was coming now.  
  
"You may call your next witness, Mr. Johnson." Judge Perkins told Kiore's lawyer.  
  
Quietly, almost as if he didn't want to say it, but he knew he had to, and looking at the floor, Mr. Johnson said, "I call Yugi Motou to the stand."  
  
Almost mechanically, Yugi pulled away from Yami and wiped his face on the sleeve of his shirt in case there were any tears before standing and walking to where the bailiff was waiting. He sat down and got sworn in before slowly looking at Mr. Johnson, waiting for what he knew would come first.  
  
"Yugi, can you tell the court what happened the day you were raped?" The man asked, looking at the floor.  
  
Yugi swallowed around the large lump in his throat and nodded. He decided it would be best if he didn't look at anybody, especially Keith, or else he wouldn't be able to finish. Taking a deep breath, he began, starting at the beginning of the day how Kiore kept making Yami hang around with Nuka since he didn't get to see his cousin very often because his parents divorced. He moved on to when Yami and Nuka nearly begged Kiore if Yami could go run her errands with them, then to when Kiore had to leave to help her friend to the hospital, to when Keith cornered him in the kitchen and he tried escaping by telling lies. It seemed like forever to Yugi when he finally told them he awoke in the hospital with a nurse in the room and she told him about his memory loss and then to when Yami came in and the first words out of his mouth since he woke up had been, "Who are you?"  
  
By the time Yugi finished he had tears streaming down his face no matter how hard he tried and he was half glad nobody had interrupted him to object to some of the things he had said and then also half upset that nobody had interrupted him for lack of better of an excuse to stop. Slowly, he looked up and he saw Kiore with tears also coursing down her eyes and holding little Shiro tightly to her, to Yami with a murderous look in his eyes as he glared at the back of Keith's head (Yugi could tell he was doing everything in his power to not go over and bash the bastard's skull in, to Mr. Johnson who was looking reserved at him, and then to the court where some people were from crying to concerned to disgusted looks at what Keith had done.  
  
Mr. Johnson finally moved and walked over to the judge. Yugi couldn't hear what he was saying, but he had an idea when the man moved to in front of him. He pulled out a hanky from his pocket and told Yugi he was excused for as long as he needed did he wish to come back.  
  
Yugi took the hanky gratefully and quickly stood, walking as fast as he could without running out of the room He could hear Yami's steps right behind him as soon as he past by where they had been seated.  
  
Yugi found the room easily and he collapsed in emotional exhaustion on the couch. Feeling Yami's arms wrap around him tightly he leaned into the embrace and hid his face in Yami's shirt.  
  
Yami started rocking Yugi back and forth on the leather couch whispering loving nothings in his ear, glad and relieved that it was helping calm the boy down and stop himself from crying before he did.  
  
When Yugi pulled away from Yami at last Yami was happy to see that very few tears had been shed and he leant over to give Yugi a gentle kiss on the cheek. "I'm so proud of you, Yugi. You're very brave to go up there and tell everybody something like that."  
  
"Yami," Yugi whispered. Yami had to lean down slightly to be able to hear what his love had to say. "Sometimes, at night, I dream that it's happening all over again. I can feel his hands going over my bare skin and I can hear him laughing and calling me all sorts of awful things." Tears slipped over his amethyst eyes as he continued to talk; Yami didn't dare interrupt. "After I wake up I don't scream though because I remember he always slapped when I did and I didn't want to get hurt again. After that I feel so dirty, Yami, and it's hard to go back to sleep feeling like that."  
  
Yugi stopped and Yami guessed that Yugi was done. He pulled the teen into his arms once more and held him tightly and kissed him on the forehead, telling him everything would be all right. The truth was not only that Yugi desperately needed the comfort; after Yami had heard everything that Yugi had been through from the beginning to when he first saw Yami after the 'accident' he'd needed the comfort and to hold his small lover in his arms as well.  
  
The smaller teen mumbled something into Yami's shirt and the crimson-eyed teen pulled away to hear. "What did you say, little love?"  
  
"Will it ever go away, Yami?" Yugi asked with a scared, far away tone.  
  
Yami sighed and held Yugi to him. "I'm sorry, but I don't know, Yugi. Maybe someday it will, but for right now I'll just hold you and tell you everything will be okay. And whenever you have a nightmare you can always wake me up. Okay?"  
  
Yugi nodded and wrapped his arms tightly around Yami, holding on in fistfuls of the cloth of his shirt as if it were a lifeline.  
  
They stayed there for a while longer, not sure how long, before Yami finally suggested they should go back to the courtroom, for his mother's sake in not to worry if anything else. Yugi agreed and they stood up.  
  
Looking at the clock Yami estimated that they'd been in the room for a good half an hour at least. He led Yami back to the room and quietly they entered and went back to their seats. Mr. Johnson smiled at the both of them and nodded apologetically to Yami for Yugi since the amethyst-eyed teen was looking at the floor.  
  
It seemed like just as they sat down Judge Perkins spoke up. "Ladies and gentlemen of the court, this has been a hard case and in being so it will take the jury time to come to a conclusion based on the evidence. Mr. Johnson, Kiore Kamikage, Keith Bandit, and Delly Miguel will be the only ones needed tomorrow and you're to show up here at eight 'o clock of the closing stages and Mr. Bandit's sentence in his crimes. The court is adjourned." She banged her gavel before turning around to leave the way she came.  
  
After the judge disappeared other people also started to get up and leave. Yugi stopped only once at the door and looked at Keith who was glaring at him with a look of death for Yugi written across his face, causing a shiver to go down Yugi's back. Afterwards, he turned and quickly caught up with Yami, who was walking a few feet behind his mother and Mr. Johnson who were discussing probably the business of tomorrow's meeting.  
  
"I'm glad we can go home now, Yami." Yugi told him as he slipped his hand closed around Yami's.  
  
Yami also closed his hand and looked down at Yugi, a small smile gracing his face. "So am I, Yugi." 


	13. Bad News

Yugi and Yami sat in the library, curled up together under a blanket on the leather couch. Both were impatiently waiting for Kiore to come back with the verdict of Keith's punishment and also were extremely nervous over what it would be as well.  
  
Finally, after seeming like decades they heard the front door open and close and they scurried out of the room into the entrance hall.  
  
Kiore looked at both of their faces with a frown on her face and she could see their anxiety of what she had to tell them. Then a smile broke out on her face and walked over to give the two boys a large hug. "It's going to be okay now boys. Everything's going to be safe from now on." She promised.  
  
"What happened, mother?" Yami asked after Kiore released them.  
  
"Keith's going to jail for three years and there's also a restriction order placed on him from ever seeing us again and if he is caught in trying to contact us he'll be locked up for an additional year each time."  
  
"That's great, mother!" Yami smiled happily, looking over to Yugi who had tears streaming down his face. A frown quickly replaced his excited smile and he held Yugi close. "Love, what's wrong? Aren't you happy that Keith won't be able to bother us anymore?"  
  
"It's just so overwhelming, Yami." Yugi admitted as he wrapped his own arms around Yami's waist. "I don't know what to say."  
  
Yami only shook his head and held Yugi tighter. "I've got to call our friends and Nuka and tell them what's happened. They're waiting to find out what happens to that bastard."  
  
"Yami! Watch your language!" Kiore scolded.  
  
"Sorry, mother." Yami mumbled before hurrying over to the phone, pulling Yugi with him.  
  
~~  
  
The doorbell rang and Yami hurried over to answer it with Yugi right behind him. When they opened the door they were completely freaked out when all their friends stood there and yelled out, "Congratulations!"  
  
"What's this all for? You said you were just coming over, not bringing a party with you?" Yami finally asked.  
  
"We thought you deserved this." Malik answered. "You get Keith out of your lives forever so you never have to face him again and he has to go to jail and live with what he's lost for the rest of his life. How much more perfect can a punishment be for a an asshole like him?"  
  
With that said everybody walked through the door and headed for the kitchen where they said they were going to put everything for their celebration.  
  
"Yami, I don't get it. Why would they do something like this for us even if they are our friends?"  
  
Yami shook his head and led Yugi to the kitchen so he could supervise his friends and make sure the house didn't become a pigpen. "Well, Yugi, that's part of our group. You didn't get to know them as long as I did when we were in school. Whenever somebody in our group has something really exciting like what just happened to us then they do something really big for you to celebrate. I was just surprised they did it because I wasn't expecting them to now that we're out of school, but I guess they're still a bunch of crazy people I like to hang around with I guess."  
  
"I guess this just proves how far great friendships can go, ne Yami?"  
  
Yami nodded and watched as his friends scurried around excitedly as they set everything up for their party.  
  
~~  
  
Just as the door closed late that night after their friends finally decided to leave the phone rang. Yami answered it tiredly before brightening up as the voice of his cousin came over the phone.  
  
Yugi yawned and mumbled to Yami he was going to go to bed. When he walked in the room he noticed the shoebox he was packing small things of his into sitting on the bed. He walked over and stared into it, his eyes resting on a crimson box nearly hidden beneath a few pictures that he'd saved. He remembered putting the box there the day before when he was trying to take his mind off the trial when they got home; he hadn't opened it to see what was in it though. Just as he was about to open it Yami walked in complaining that Nuka never sleeps and tends to forget other people need to. Yugi only nodded and covered the shoebox with its lid before putting it up in the closet.  
  
By morning he completely forgot about it.  
  
~~  
  
It was that fateful day nearly two weeks later that had everybody nervous to death. Kiore had received a call from Mr. Johnson to come to his office right away concerning Keith's time in jail.  
  
It was hours before she arrived back home and it seemed like there wasn't any blood circulating into her face it was so pale. When Yami touched her arm to comfort her she broke down and hid her face in his shirt, she wasn't crying though she just held onto her son and didn't want to let go for some reason.  
  
"Mother?"  
  
"Oh, Yami!" She sighed nervously. "It's just so terrible!"  
  
Yugi walked cautiously down the stairs when he saw that Kiore had collapsed into his lover's arms. Curious as he was to find out what was wrong, he didn't want to interrupt them so he sat down on the bottom step and waited to be noticed by the two standing in front of the open doorway.  
  
"Mother, what did Mr. Johnson tell you about Keith? Did the court change their minds or something?"  
  
Kiore shook her head and gestured for Yami to follow her into the study, both still not noticing the violet-eyed teen watching them.  
  
Yugi stood and decided it wasn't going to hurt anyone if he listened quietly to what they were saying.  
  
Kiore used the remote on the desk to turn on the T.V. in the far corner of the room. She changed the channel to 15 and all three listened to what was happening in the world that day.  
  
".I'm Shane Wesley and this is Channel 15 news. Sorry to interrupt your regularly programmed show but something extremely important has come up at Kyoto State Prison(1). Keith Bandit, recently put in jail for a term of three years for rape and child abuse two weeks earlier, has escaped from jail and has left no trace to his current whereabouts. The police have found that Keith's cell had a tunnel barely big enough for him to crawl through underneath his bed. Searching back to earlier events it was found that another, less dangerous threat to society, had also escaped from the same cell Keith had been occupying. The previous criminal who had escaped had left a diversion though so it seemed like he had picked the lock on the door with a sharpened bone from one of his meals rather when he really had created the hole under the bed.  
  
This man is a dangerous threat to society and will not hesitate to harm anyone. If you see this man," a picture of Keith appeared on the screen as the voice continued on, "it would be in everybody's best interests if you would immediately call the authorities."  
  
A voice in the background said something about now returning to the regularly programmed show before Kiore shut it off and looked at her son.  
  
"He escaped because the police couldn't bother to search the cell? Are people really that incompetent? He's dangerous for Kami's sake and they didn't give him high security! What is this world coming to! How am I going to tell Yugi?"  
  
Just at that moment a crash was heard behind them and they turned to see Yugi sprawled on the floor with stricken wide eyes and a pale face, the table that occupied just outside the study's door was now laying on the floor with the vase of flowers that sat on it spreading on the floor and glass broken and sparkling in the light.  
  
"Yugi!" Yami rushed over and helped Yugi up. "Yugi, are you okay? What happened?"  
  
Yugi just held him tightly and shook his head back and forth as memories of Keith and what he'd done flooded through his mind. "I heard everything, Yami. Keith's going to come for us, I know it." He cried into the older's shirt.  
  
"Shh, don't worry, Yugi. Everything's going to be okay, Yugi, don't worry." Yami tried calming him as he rocked them back and forth on the floor, but it didn't seem to be working. Finally he decided he needed help and he picked Yugi up off the floor and carried him in his arms. "Mom, I'm going over to Joey's. I'll be back in a few hours." Yami called as he walked to the door.  
  
Kiore only nodded as she understood Yami needed his friends' help. She went to the closet in the kitchen and took out a broom and a washcloth to go clean up the mess from the vase.  
  
~~  
  
Yami parked in front of the apartment buildings and carried his smaller lover to the door and up the stairs to where Joey and Seto stayed. He knocked rapidly on the door until finally the brunette opened the door.  
  
"Yami, what happened?" He asked when he finally took in the scene in front of him with a disheveled Yami standing there with a pale face and holding Yugi who was even more pale faced and tears coursing uncontrollably down his face and he held Yami's shirt tightly.  
  
"I can't calm him down, Seto. You've got to help. He saw the news and.Oh, Seto; you've got to help me. I don't know what to do." Yami pleaded desperately.  
  
Seto nodded and led Yami to the living room and sat him down on the couch. Joey just came out of the bedroom with wet hair and a towel grasped in his hand.  
  
"Yami?" He asked as he saw his best friend sitting on the couch with Yugi crying hysterically in his arms.  
  
"Joey, go get that one thick blanket from the closet." Seto called as he walked into the room with two mugs of hot chocolate in his hands.  
  
Joey nodded and went down the hall again.  
  
Seto sat down on the couch and handed one of the mugs to Seto and set the other on the table to give to Yugi after he calmed down.  
  
Joey came back with the blanket and he and Seto helped curl it around Yugi small body and watched as the younger teen curled into it and grasped it tightly.  
  
After a few minutes Yugi finally calmed down and was nearly asleep in the soft blanket. Yami watched amazed as Seto took the mug off the table and gently handed it to Yugi who took it gratefully.  
  
Red eyes stared at the brunette questioningly and Seto laughed and shook his head. "I think I'm going to call that blanket the miracle blanket, it works every time."  
  
"How did you get him to calm down so easily?" Yami asked curiously.  
  
"Like I said, the blanket's a miracle. Every time somebody's been impossibly hysterical and won't calm down for anybody we just wrap it around them with some hot chocolate waiting for them if possible and they calm down in just minutes. It really puzzles me how it works, but it does." He took the now empty mug from Yugi and set it down on the couch.  
  
"Thanks, Seto. I really appreciate your help."  
  
Seto waved it off. "What are friends for? So what happened?"  
  
Joey also sat on the couch now to find out what happened to make his friend's lover get so hysterical.  
  
"He saw the news." Yami answered simply. "My mother got a call from Mr. Johnson and when she came home she was upset. When I asked her what was wrong she took my to the study and she turned on the news where it said Keith had escaped and nobody was safe now that he wasn't being watched and hadn't even come close to finishing his three year period in jail. When it was over there was a loud crash and Yugi was on the ground with the table and the vase on the floor. He told me that he heard everything and then he started crying and he wouldn't calm down."  
  
Seto thought for a minute before nodding. "That makes sense."  
  
"Glad it does to you. Mind explaining what happened to my boyfriend?"  
  
"Well Keith raped him and said terrible things about you and him, right?" Yami nodded. "Then he made him lose his memory," Yami nodded again. "It's my opinion, so I might be wrong, but since Yugi's so innocent and nothing like this has ever happened it was such a shock. When he saw the news I suppose he finally snapped and couldn't control himself anymore."  
  
Yami held Yugi closer. "I see now. Poor Yugi; I never wanted something awful to happen to him. I feel like the worst person in the world."  
  
"Aw Yami, don't beat yourself up. Something like this was going to happen and you wouldn't have been able to stop it even if you tried." Joey told him seriously.  
  
Yami nodded. "I suppose." He stood. "Thanks for your help, guys. I don't want my mother to worry since I don't even remember if I said where I was going so I should probably get back."  
  
Seto and Joey stood with him and helped him with the now limp Yugi back to the car. Before closing the door for him, Seto asked if Yami would call tomorrow and tell them how Yugi was doing. 


	14. Big Bang

The next morning all seemed pretty good. Yugi seemed to be back to normal and Yami was happy about that. Yami kissed him good morning before he went downstairs to see if his mother had started making breakfast while Yugi went to go take a shower. As he walked towards the kitchen though he noticed something peculiar about something in the hall; something that just didn't feel right. Looking around he noticed after a few minutes he noticed that the telephone that was set up by the wall on the small wall table was missing, but the cord was still there.  
  
'Maybe mother's going to get a new one today or it needs to get fixed.' He wondered to himself.  
  
He continued on the way to the kitchen and saw his mother flipping pancakes over the stove. He walked over to her and hugged her from behind and giving her a small kiss on the cheek.  
  
"Good morning, mother."  
  
"Morning, sweetie." She replied back, only taking her eyes off what she was doing for a small minute to give him a returning hug and kiss.  
  
"Mother, are you getting a new phone for the hall? I noticed it was missing, but the cord is still hanging around the table."  
  
Kiore stopped what she was doing and looked at Yami with shock on her eyes. "I thought you were fixing it up in your room because it was acting up or something?"  
  
Yami slowly shook his head and looked around the kitchen, seeming to somehow think it would give him some sort of answer. That's when noticed that the cordless phone that hung on the far wall looked like it had been ripped out, the cord that connected it the wall was hanging loosely and carelessly out of the wall, torn down the wall a few inches.  
  
"Mother, what happened to that phone?" He asked as soon as he took the whole scene of where it was in.  
  
Kiore turned quickly and gasped. "Where'd all the phones go?"  
  
"Something's getting weird, mother?"  
  
"What's getting weird? And what's burning?"  
  
Yami and Kiore turned to look at the stove where a burnt pancake was now sitting in the pan starting to smoke.  
  
Yami turned to Yugi while his mother took care of the burnt pancake in the pan. "Yugi, can you go upstairs and check out my mother's room to see if the phone's there?"  
  
Yugi, hair still wet and clothes sticking lightly to his wet skin, gave Yami a curious look before turning and heading back upstairs.  
  
A few minutes later he returned with a weird look on his face. "It's gone. The cord's just lying on the table. What's going on? Did you know that the phone was missing?"  
  
"I had an idea it would be missing. The one in the hall and the one in here are missing too. "  
  
"For now let's just eat breakfast and then we'll look at the other two phones: the one in the study and my cell phone; it should be in my purse upstairs. I was going to call the police to have them come watch the house or see if they can do something while Keith's on the run. You'll never know if he'll try to get back here for revenge or something."  
  
"Do you think he'll try something, Kiore?" Yugi asked stiffly, moving closer to Yami for a bit of comfort.  
  
"You never can tell, Yugi. Don't worry though, sweetie. We'll make sure he never has anything to do with us ever again." She told him to try and help him calm back down.  
  
Yugi nodded but still edged closer to Yami and wrapped his arms around him.  
  
"Nothing bad will happen, Yugi. I promise it won't." 'It just can't," Yami added silently as he wrapped his own arms around Yugi and held him closer.  
  
After breakfast Kiore suggested the two boys see if the other two phones are gone or still there while she cleaned up the dishes. They agreed and left to check the study's phone first.  
  
Upon entering it was immediately noticeable that the phone wasn't there and the cord once more was lying on the table as if it were completely forgotten. Yami sighed and left to go upstairs, Yugi followed quickly.  
  
Yami checked his mother's purse over five times before he finally dropped it back on the ground and gave up. "All the phones in this house are gone. What's going on around here?"  
  
"You don't think somebody came in last night and stole them, do you?"  
  
Yami looked up with a defeated look. "I have no idea, Yugi. I mean, who would steal four phones?"  
  
The amethyst-eyed teen shrugged lightly and helped pull Yami back up from the floor. "Come on, Yami. Let's go tell your mom. Then she can go to one of the neighbor's house and call the police to come over."  
  
Yami nodded and allowed Yugi to lead him out of the bedroom and back downstairs.  
  
Down in the kitchen the couple told Kiore about the phones and she sighed deeply.  
  
"I guess I'll drive over to Mrs. Kilborn's and ask if I can use his phone to call the police. No doubt they'll be interested to hear this." With that said, Kiore stood and left to grab her coat and left the house. "You boys wouldn't mind staying here in case anything else happens that you could tell the police when you get here, would you?" She called just before she closed the door behind her.  
  
Yami and Yugi both shook their heads to show they didn't mind before she left even though she already closed the door.  
  
"So what should we do now?" Yugi asked, turning to look at Yami.  
  
The crimson-eyed boy shrugged. "Let's just look around the place. Maybe we'll be able to find out something."  
  
The younger nodded and followed Yami into the library. Both looked around for anything they hadn't seen before when Yami glanced at one of the cases in the back and gasped.  
  
Yugi hurried over to him and asked what happened.  
  
"All these bookcases were full before. Now three books are missing." Yami explained.  
  
"Do you know which three?"  
  
Yami shook his head. "I never had any reason to come back here before; these were all my mother's books and I don't like the stuff she reads very much."  
  
"Oh," Yugi couldn't think of anything else to say. "Well this is something to tell the police then, unless you're mother just brought them up to her room to read at night."  
  
"No, she doesn't like reading in her room. She says it's too distracting or something like that. She only likes to read in here. Besides, I haven't seen her back here in ages. We'll ask her if she knows anything about it before we assume anything though."  
  
It wasn't long before Kiore returned with a relieved smile on her face. "I almost missed her. The police are on their way though. Did you find anything else we should tell the police?"  
  
Yami nodded slightly. "I think so. Follow me, I need to show you something."  
  
The couple led her into the library.  
  
"Did you do anything with the three books that were here?" Yami asked her curiously.  
  
Kiore shook her head. "I haven't read anything back here in a long time. I wonder what happened with them."  
  
"Do you remember what they were?" Yugi asked.  
  
Kiore shook her head as if it were help her remember somehow. "I'm not real sure, I haven't been back here in so long it seems; might even be years I'm sure. I think they were instruction books or something like that."  
  
A light bulb went off somewhere in Yami's head. "Were they books on how to rewire things?" He asked excited, hoping they had an idea.  
  
Just as he said that the lights went off and Yugi immediately went to Yami's side.  
  
"What's happening, Yami?"  
  
Yugi shook his head before remembering Yugi might not be able to see him. "I'm not really sure, Yugi."  
  
Minutes later a knock rounded on the door and somebody called out for Kiore.  
  
Yami, Yugi, and Kiore scrambled as fast as they could with only managing to have a run-in with a table before reaching the door. Flashlights held by three different policemen met them when they entered that hall and they had to squint their eyes and hold their hands up to block the lights from their faces.  
  
"Officer Daily?" Kiore asked.  
  
"Kiore, what happened with your lights? And I told you time and again to just call me Dave."  
  
"Sorry, Dave. I don't know what happened to them, they just suddenly went out while we were in the library. My son and his boyfriend found something else you might be interested in."  
  
"And what's that, Kiore?"  
  
"Well, besides the phones, they went to search for anything else that was missing mysteriously or anything else you might find interesting and they went to the library and found that three of my how-to books were missing. I'm pretty sure they were how-to books and I remember one of them was how to rewire electronics."  
  
"Maybe that's how the lights went out. Somebody rewired them and took the phones so you couldn't call anyone, but whom? Keith couldn't be completely crazed on getting you to try something so soon, would he?" Dace mused to himself. "Yami, would you be as so kind as to take one of my men to wherever you keep the fuse box so he might spread some light back on the place?"  
  
"Sure."  
  
"Marve, go with Yami."  
  
"Can I come too, Yami?" Yugi asked, holding his arm tighter.  
  
"Actually, Yugi, I think you should go upstairs to your room and stay there until somebody comes to get you." Dave answered for Yami.  
  
"But I."  
  
"Yugi, please don't try to argue. You know how dangerous Keith can be when he wants something and you're not exactly the strongest person to be able to handle somebody like him."  
  
Yugi felt tears spring to his eyes at the detective's words. Without another word he turned and ran up the stairs and slammed the bedroom door behind him.  
  
Yami turned around as soon as the door slammed shut and glared angrily at the officer his mother called her best friend. "Was that really necessary? You didn't have to spit it right in his face!"  
  
"Yami, just take Marve to the fuse box and you can yell at me later."  
  
"I have the right mind to refuse right now, but since Yugi doesn't like being in the dark I'll do it." He turned on his heel and headed for the kitchen where the basement door was located, not even waiting to see if Marve was following or not.  
  
~~  
  
Yugi sat on the bed grumbling to himself. "It's not fair." He continued to mutter. After he tired of his continuous muttering he quieted and laid back down on the bed, furious with the police officer for talking to him like that.  
  
'He's supposed to be a policemen for crying out loud. You'd think he'd be a bit nicer about telling obvious things. I mean, couldn't he have just said it's not safe and he didn't want me to get hurt if Keith was behind all this? I could've handled that!'  
  
Not long later the lights flashed once and went, then a few seconds later something buzzed and they flipped back on.  
  
Yugi jumped up from the bed, intent on going back downstairs now, but somebody grabbed him from behind and covered his mouth to keep him from screaming.  
  
A familiar voice he wished he would never hear again whispered into his ear. "Hello, love. How 'bout you and I have a little chat; I haven't seen you in so long it seems. Or maybe, we can go find Yami and I can have fun with the both of you."  
  
Yugi's eyes widened at the obvious meaning and vigorously shook his head.  
  
"No? What a shame, but that wasn't really giving options; that was more of.let's say an order. Do you still disagree with me?"  
  
The amethyst-eyed teen continued to struggle against Keith's hold, but he still didn't seem to be able to get away from him.  
  
Keith smirked and Yugi could feel it against his ear as warm breath continued to caress his ear. The left arm tightened around Yugi and held him tightly against Keith's muscular body, the older man grinding himself suggestively against Yugi's ass. His right arm shifted something around behind him and Yugi's eyes widened even further when he recognized a gun in his hand when it came back into view. He immediately stopped struggling.  
  
"That's what I thought, my beautiful Yugi. Now, let's go find Yami."  
  
Before Keith could start forcing Yugi towards the door it opened and Yami stepped in only to freeze at the door when he saw what became of his beloved koi.  
  
"Yugi." He whispered in a strained voice.  
  
"Ah, just the person we were going to go look for. Thanks for saving us the trouble."  
  
Crimson eyes shifted to the gun that Keith was holding directly at Yugi's head and he found himself having trouble breathing.  
  
"You wouldn't want anything bad happening to your lovely boyfriend would you, Yami. Come here and sit on the bed like a good boy and I'll make sure neither of you get hurt."  
  
Yami, knowing that Keith wouldn't bluff about something like that, swallowed around the rather large lump in his throat and walked slowly towards the bed. He wasn't a fool though. He knew exactly what Keith was going to do with him, but if it meant keeping Yugi safe then he'd do it a million times over again. He sat on the bed and felt his body start to shake, but not out of fear for what was going to happen to him, but for Yugi and what he must be going through.  
  
"That's a good lad." Keith shoved Yugi over to the bed and told him to sit down. He also sat on the bed and ordered Yugi to kiss him while he unbuckled his belt. Adding that if he tried anything than nothing good was going to come out of it.  
  
Yugi nodded shakily and moved his hands down to where an easily seen growing bulge was appearing in Keith's pants as he started to unbuckle Keith's belt along with his pants as he also started to kiss him the best he could without totally grossing himself out.  
  
Keith removed his left arm from around Yugi and brought it up to Yami's shirt, smoothing it out sexily (or so he thought) and began to unbutton it.  
  
"Yami, have you told Yugi we found the phones in the basement? What's taking so long, I thought that." Just at that moment Kiore walked in and froze in mid-sentence at what she was calling to Yami and Yugi to scream. The three policemen ran in behind her and had their guns up. They also froze when they saw what was happening. They then saw the revolver in Keith's right hand and held their guns up more securely once more.  
  
"Freeze, Keith! You're under arrest!"  
  
Yugi pulled away and stared at the doorway until he tensed and glanced to his left (Keith's right) where the gun was pointing directly at him.  
  
Keith smirked and stopped drawing designs on Yami's chest where his shirt hung open. "No, I believe the fun has just begun. Now, you can either watch the wonderful display we're about to put on whether you leave or not or you can leave and try to forget what you just saw. Either way I'm going to enjoy myself with both of these gorgeous boys."  
  
Tears were streaming down Kiore's eyes as Dave moved slowly forward and wrapped his arms around her, bringing her too him and away from the entrance of the bedroom where Keith, Yami, and Yugi were still watching.  
  
"Yugi!"  
  
The youngest jumped and moved his violet eyes to Keith.  
  
"Continue." He ordered sternly.  
  
Yugi shook, but tried to hide it as he moved forward and continued to kiss Keith's swollen lips.  
  
Yami clenched his eyes shut as Keith continued to move his callused hands around on his chest before they moved south and unbuttoned his pants one- handedly.  
  
"Keith, please! Don't do this! Take me instead!" Kiore shouted, trying to remove herself from Dave's grasp as her husband started to pull down her son's pants to reveal his black and red boxers underneath.  
  
Keith looked up from what he was doing once more with a smirk. "No, I think I prefer these two much more than you. At least they know how to please." He insulted, chuckling evilly before he resumed his task intently once more.  
  
Kiore finally escaped from Dave's arms and started running towards Keith and her two sons, Yugi adopted by her own mind since she'd come to know him so well over the time he'd been with her and Yami. "Keith, no!"  
  
Keith growled and held the gun up to Yugi once more.  
  
"Yugi!" Yami shouted as he shoved his way up from the bed and pushed Keith hard enough to aim the shot somewhere else, causing a hold to be blasted through the wall.  
  
Yugi fell to the floor with a thud and tried to scramble away from Keith, his eyes bouncing from Keith to Yami then to Keith again. He prayed with all his being that Yami would be able to get away from Keith safely.  
  
At that same time as Yugi was watching Keith and Yami, Yami and Keith were fighting over control of the gun. Keith kicked Yami in the gut, causing him to keel over on the bed and crouch over his stomach as tightly as he could.  
  
"Yami!" Yugi called as he started to stand, but then gasped came from the door and Yami opened tired eyes to where Keith was now pointing his gun at and he froze when he saw it was pointed right at him.  
  
"Keith!" Kiore stepped forward, closing the door and locking it quickly behind her so the three officers couldn't get in quickly. She hurried forward but froze when the revolver was then pointed from Yami to directly at her.  
  
"Mother!" Yami coughed out.  
  
Yugi looked at the gun and then at Keith's hand as the finger started to pull back on the trigger. "Kiore!" Standing up as fast he could he ran over to where Kiore was standing and pushed her out of the way, causing her to fall to the floor, just as Keith pulled the trigger.  
  
Unbelievable pain filed through Yugi as he felt himself come into contact with the floor just before. He curled into himself as he briefly heard his name called from two different people.  
  
Yami tackled Keith to the floor and grabbed the gun from Keith throwing towards his mother. He then brought in all his anger that he ever felt for Keith and used to punch Keith as hard as he could, causing him to get knocked out enough that he wouldn't have to worry about him for a while. He quickly scrambled over to where Yugi lay, curled into himself still.  
  
"Mother, let the officers in so they can take Keith out of here before he gets conscious again. Go call for an ambulance for Yugi."  
  
Kiore nodded and hurried over to the door to let them in. When they looked around the room though they saw Keith smirking, holding the gun directly at Yami, who didn't even notice he was being aimed at.  
  
Before anyone could say or do anything Keith fired the gun with a big bang. 


	15. So That's How it Ends

Yugi felt himself coming out of the fuzziness of unconsciousness as he slowly opened his eyes, only quickly shut them when brightness invaded his sight. He didn't know where he was and the one thing that was really bothering him was the stinging buzz in his right arm. Deciding to try again, he blinked his eyes open and allowed himself to adjust to the light. He saw half of his friends standing around the room with worried looks on their faces, talking quietly amongst themselves.  
  
"What's going on?" He asked, his voice thick with sleep.  
  
Ryou, Malik, and Joey turned and smiled at him excitedly.  
  
"Yugi, you're awake! How do you feel?" Ryou asked, his voice laced with concern for his friend.  
  
"I feel tired and my arm hurts."  
  
"That's understandable considering you got yourself shot in the arm." Malik explained.  
  
"I got shot?" Yugi closed his eyes to concentrate, a frown spread over his face. "That's right, I remember now. What happened to Kiore, she didn't get hurt, did she?"  
  
"Nah, man. She's alright; she's with Yami in the room opposite this one right now." Joey told him.  
  
"Yami? What happened to Yami?"  
  
"He ran over to help you after he thought he knocked Keith out. Turns out the bastard was just faking unconsciousness though and crawled over to his gun that got knocked out of his hand when Yami tackled him. Yami didn't even know he was being aimed at until it was too late." Joey explained.  
  
"Is he okay? Is he awake yet?" Yugi asked eagerly.  
  
The three of them laughed at Yugi's anxiousness. "Don't worry, Yugi," Malik said, "he's fine. He woke up about an hour again feeling better than ever. Except for when he found out he'd be using crutches for a few weeks; he got shot in the calf on his right leg."  
  
"Oh," Yugi sighed out in relief. "Did anybody else get hurt?"  
  
"Nope; just you two. Do you wanna see him?" Joey asked.  
  
A large smile spread over Yugi's face and he nodded enthusiastically. "Can I?"  
  
"Sure, come on. We'll help you."  
  
Joey and Ryou came over and helped Yugi out of the bed so he wouldn't get tangled in the cords coming from the many machines and pulled him away far enough that he could walk on his own.  
  
"The doctors wanted you to stay hooked up to this for a few more hours unless you woke up." Joey informed the shorter teen, pointing to the medication his left arm was hooked up too. "Want to keep it in to help with the pain or do you want us to find someone to take it out."  
  
"Shots give me the creeps." Yugi shivered, refusing to look at it. "Can you go find someone for me?"  
  
Malik nodded and headed out the door at a fast pace. He came back not five minutes later with a blonde nurse following after him.  
  
"Hello, sweetie. Feeling better?" She asked with a voice some would use for a one-year-old.  
  
"I'm fine." Yugi answered politely, slightly annoyed with the way she was treating him.  
  
"This will only take a second then." She told him before moving to his arm and pulling the needle from it. "All done. I'll send the doctor over for you so he can look you over and decide when we can release you." She explained as she rubbed his arm lightly.  
  
Yugi nodded and followed his friends out the door to Yami's room adjacent to his.  
  
"Yami, there's somebody who wants to see you." Joey joked in a sing-song voice as he walked in, Ryou and Malik rolled their eyes.  
  
Yami sat up in bed and a smile spread over his face when he saw Yugi, frowning only once when he saw the bandage around his right arm, before returning his eyes to his lover's face. "Yugi, I've been waiting for you to wake up."  
  
"Hey, Yami." Yugi looked around the room and, in his annoyance, found that Yami's room was the same as his, meaning that all the rooms in the hospital must be created for the patient's boredom. He glanced back at Yami again with a sad smile. "I hate white." He said, gesturing around the room.  
  
Yami nodded, "Me too." He patted an empty space beside him on the bed. "How do you feel?" He asked when Yugi sat down and snuggled up beside him.  
  
"So-so. I'd feel better leaving though; I hate hospitals."  
  
The older teen laughed. "I know, Yugi. Me too."  
  
"Besides," Yugi continued, "this place reminds me of that one Christmas."  
  
"I know, Yugi. I want to leave too. I've got good news for you though.Well, it would be good for us considering what just happened, but it just plains sucks for other people."  
  
"What is it, Yami?" Yugi asked impatiently, needing some good news right then.  
  
"Keith put up a major fight when the officers tried to take him downstairs. The bastard finally got what was coming to him when their chief showed up and gave them permission to stun him just until they got him to the new prison they're taking him too. He's on full security this time with no chance of bail for attempted murder, especially when he tried doing twice."  
  
"We went to the trial too." Joey exclaimed excitedly.  
  
"He's got no chance on parole or bail either." Malik smirked, enjoying the memory of what Keith's expression must've been like when they sentenced him.  
  
"It only took a few hours too. No recesses or anything, just went straight through in like two hours." Bakura gleefully told him.  
  
Yugi smiled. "At least now we have a better chance of getting on with our regular lives. When do we get to go home?"  
  
"I get to go home tomorrow; we're going to go pick up my crutches that the doctor sent in for on the way. Have you been checked out by the doctor yet?"  
  
"He is now." A friendly voice called from the door. Everyone waved a greeting to the doctor that they obviously must've recognized. "How do you feel," he looked at a clipboard in his hand, "Yugi?"  
  
Yugi nodded and felt Yami pat him on the shoulder.  
  
"He's very nice, Yugi. He's the one who checked me out an hour ago. It won't hurt at all; I promise."  
  
Yugi smiled, glad for that bit of information, and followed the doctor back into the other room where he first woke up.  
  
The doctor unrolled the bandages from around Yugi's arm where the bullet had been removed when he was unconscious. "Looks like it's doing just fine." He moved his hand up Yugi's arm and squeezed gently, examining Yugi's face for any signs of pain. He moved his hand up further and did the same; this time Yugi's face flinched slightly. "How much does that hurt?"  
  
"A feels like a sharp pinch or a bee sting."  
  
The doctor nodded and released Yugi's arm. "Well you seem to be doing just fine then if it only hurts that much." He bandaged it back up and pat the wrapped up white band gently. "I don't see any reason why you shouldn't be able to go home with Yami tomorrow. I just want to make sure you won't get further inspection so I'll keep you overnight. Just take it easy for a while and I'll call Ms. Kamikage when I want you to come back so I can check and see how you're doing from there."  
  
Yugi nodded and glanced back at the door. The doctor saw his slight glance and laughed. "Go on then. You have a few hours before the nurses go around to get patients into bed and visitors out the building."  
  
The violet-eyed teen thanked him and all but ran to the door. "I get to go home tomorrow, Yami!" He repeated excitedly when Yami asked him when he could go home.  
  
~~  
  
A few days later Yugi could be found up in the bedroom looking through a few of his things Yami had helped him put away back when he was still trying to recover his memory. He didn't want to listen to Yami, who was downstairs bickering with Nuka about going to his own room, the guestroom, so he could get some sleep.  
  
Yami had taken to sleeping in the library on the leather couch since the first time he tried trekking up the stairs with his crutches. That incident almost resulted in another trip to the hospital. Yugi, naturally, couldn't let Yami sleep all by his lonesome self so he agreed when Yami asked him if he would join him on the couch.  
  
The amethyst-eyed teen continued to look through his things that he liked to look at like his old school album where he and Yami were found on one of the benches outside in one of the rose garden's paths sleeping against each other. He also liked looking at some of the old black and white photos of him and his grandpa when he was around three to seven years old. While he was looking for those photos however, he came across and dust covered shoebox that he'd never noticed before. As he pulled down the box and dust fell down, covering his hair in a thin layer of it, the all too familiar twinge of a knot was found aching in his mind again.  
  
He opened the lid and immediately a small, beautiful crimson, velvet covered box caught his eye. He vaguely remembered seeing it somewhere before almost a year earlier, but he hadn't remembered what had become of it. He picked the small box up curiously and looked over the outside for any sign of another reminder of what might be inside, but it was still coming up black in his mind. Deciding he should just open it before Nuka came bustling in shouting out in his usually loud voice that Yami was going to bed, which was usually when Yugi decided to go to bed as well.  
  
The box opened with a quiet squeak and Yugi gasped at what he saw. A gorgeous band of gold with small white crystals forming a heart and small black crystals forming a heart, both intertwined with each other. He lifted his hand and picked it up carefully, almost like it were made of glass. Looking it over he remembered that he had given Yami a locket with the same intertwined hearts, except they weren't in small crystals just engraved and painted on, while they were still in school during Christmas break.  
  
As the band slipped over his finger his skin brushed tiny indents and he pulled it off to see if anything were written on the inside. His eyes widened and he felt his breath catch in his throat. Inside was written 'til death do us part.' He suddenly remembered what that life-altering knot was that he couldn't seem to remember!  
  
Carefully storing the ring back its box so the hearts were facing upwards, he closed it and ran downstairs just as Yami convinced Nuka to go bed. Yami smiled when he saw him coming downstairs and used his left crutch to wave at him happily. Yugi smiled back at him and waited for Nuka to leave before telling Yami he had something important to tell him.  
  
"Something wrong, Yugi?" Yami asked when he noticed the strange look glowing in Yugi's joyous orbs.  
  
"I've never felt happier in my life than at this moment, Yami." Yugi told him with a dreamy look coming over his face. "You remember the knot I told you about nearly half a year ago that seemed like it could change someone's life, but no matter what I couldn't remember it?"  
  
Yami nodded with a curious look on his face.  
  
Yugi dropped to his knee and smiled up at Yami. His lover gave him a questioningly look, but refrained from speaking. Yugi took a deep breath and brought out the crimson box from behind his back, handing it up to Yami.  
  
Yami eyed Yugi once more before opening the small box and gasping at what he saw inside.  
  
The amethyst-eyed teen let out a small smile to his beloved Yami and took another deep breath. "Yami, my love, the only one I can only ever think of ever spending any life with for the rest of my own, would you please do me every honor ever been given and marry me?" Yugi asked hopefully, his words dripping with his love and complete sincerity.  
  
Yami dropped to his knees and gave Yugi a deep hug while whispering, "I would love nothing more, koibito," he quietly nobody, if anybody else were in the room, would've been able to hear it except for Yugi.  
  
Yugi carefully took the ring from its box and placed it onto Yami's ring finger.  
  
After standing and sharing a passionate kiss for minutes that seemed to go by much too quickly for both lovers, Yugi blushed and admitted he had lied to him and now he could finally tell Yami what he'd done.  
  
Yami spends the next five minutes or so being told how Yugi liked about him looking out the window when he heard the car start up and the leaf falling in his hair the day he went to buy the ring and told him what really what happened instead. Yami ended up laughing about it and telling Yugi he wasn't mad about him lying as long as he told him about it sooner or later, like he just did.  
  
The ruby-eyed teen gave Yugi another sweet kiss on the his lips and mumbled something about having to find a ring for Yugi. When he pulled away though he added that was probably going to be one of the hardest things he's ever done in his life.  
  
"Why's that, Yami?" Yugi asked curiously. "You know I'm not picky so how could it be hard?"  
  
"Because, Yugi. I like only the best for the one I loved and there isn't a ring out there that could ever match your beauty, let alone ever come close to it."  
  
Yugi blushed but decided to add on, "I'm sure you'll do a wonderful job because I'll love whatever you get."  
  
Yami kissed Yugi once more and held him closely to his side all the way to the library, hobbling mostly the way there. When both fell asleep they could only dream of the day when they'd finally be able to be joined together for the rest of their lives.  
  
~~  
  
There's the end people. I hoped you loved it as much as I loved writing it for you. I know this is usually when I put up votes for my next story, but I still haven't decided if I'm going continue "With You" or not. If I do decide to continue with it if I ever find out how I'm going to (reincarnations remembering the ancient past is so over used, don't you think? Besides, I've already done that in another fic I've written and I think it would just be boring writing something similar to it again) then I'll put the votes on the last chapter for the next story when it does finish and then also add it to another 'chapter' after this one at the same time. If not then I'll put the votes up on both fics in 'chapters' after the last one. Sorry if that seemed a bit confusing. 


End file.
